Animal crossing
by Maginisha
Summary: A mad scientist has turned the people of Tokyo into animals. Will Schwarz and Weiß manage to combine their powers to overcome the situation?
1. Chapter 1

Schuldig's ear twitched. That should have been impossible. Hands, arms, legs and the things between, okay. They might twitch right after waking up in the morning. But his ears were to remain where they were, thank you very much. He cracked open an eye and spotted something furry next to him on his pillow. He jumped up and out of the bed. The thing followed him as it was attached to his behind.

"What the...a tail?"

Schuldig looked down and caught view of four small reddish brown paws and a white belly. Everything covered in fur. Just as his nose which had become quite long. He licked his lips. Yes, there were sharp teeth, too. He put two and two together and came to the conclusion:

"I'm a fox. Why am I a fox? How? And how do I turn back to normal?"

He decided to put the first two questions aside and stick to the third one. This was unacceptable. He certainly would not stay like this. But first he had to get out of here. He looked up at the door handle and was quite grateful that they did not have knobs on theirs doors. They would have been a problem without hands. But like this he just had to jump up a few times, before he hit the handle just right and the door opened.

Schuldig sneaked out into the doorway and wondered, if he was the only on having this...furry problem. When he heard a small noise just in front of him, he froze and cocked his ears. Man, these things seemed to have a mind of their own. He could not deny that it approved his hearing by far, though.

There were faint scratching noises accompanied by soft snuffling and something that sounded like an angry mouse. Schuldig felt his instincts kick in and fought them back. He certainly would not chase after mice, no matter how tasty that sounded to his foxy brain right now. Instead he decided to peak around the corner to see what was going on.

There was another animal sitting on the floor. It was smaller than Schuldig and had white fur. The body was lithe and agile with four short legs, its head triangled and topped with two rather round ears. It was making disapproving sounds as it kept pawing the kitchen knife in front of it.

"It´s no use", the animal finally said with the husky voice that was normally Farfarello's. "I just can't get it up. Stupid paws."

"So, you are a ferret," Schuldig decided to join in. "It seems we have a similar problem."

"Schuldig!" The ferret turned around and showed something like a grin. Its one eye glistening with amusement. "A fox, eh? Must be your hair color that got you that appearance."

"Seems like that. Anyone else up, yet?"

"I think I heard something from Crawford's room. Maybe we should check."

They went to the bedroom at the end of the hallway. There was indeed something inside and, from the sounds of it, it was not happy.

"Step back," Schuldig growled. "I will open the door."

He jumped up, pressed the handle and turned around before he hit the ground again. The door swung open and revealed an untidy bedroom. There were small piles of things put next to the bed. Papers were spread in one corner. The sheets were disheveled and the cover was torn. By claws if Schuldig was to guess. But where was Crawford?

"I am here," a smooth voice came from the build-in bathroom. "I suppose you are animals, too?"

"I am a fox and Farfarello's a ferret. What did you turn into?"

There was a shuffling and the bathroom door opened wider. Pawsteps came closer and then a black and white face appeared behind the bed.

"A badger?" Schuldig almost laughed at the sight. Almost. Because the expression on Crawford's now furry face did not show approval of any kind of amusement.

"This is a serious issue," Crawford growled and Schuldig had to admit that badgers were more impressive than he thought. "We have to find the source of this catastrophe and get rid of it as soon as possible. I have been thinking about a plan for the last two hours and..."

"What?" Schuldig interrupted him. "You _knew_ and did not bother to wake any of us?"

Crawford muttered something.

"What?" Schuldig leaned forward.

"He could not reach the door handle," Farfarello helped out sitting on his hind legs. He seemed to have a thing for his new appearance despite the problem with picking up knives.

Crawford shot him a look. "Go and get Nagi. He has to do some research. I already have a strong suspicion who is behind all of this, but we need proves."

Schuldig jumped up. "I'll go. I want to see what Nagi turned into."

He went to Nagi's room and looked at the still closed door. "Naggels, are you in there?"

"Yes. Go away!" The voice was still the same but Schuldig wondered. He tried to reach out with his gift and was pleased to feel it still worked. He caught some very gloomy thoughts, but before he could dig deeper, the door opened with a bang. Inside it was dark, the curtains still closed and no light switched on. Schuldig cautiously stepped closer and sniffed. There was only a very faint odor of animal. Very faint and somewhere up above his head. He looked up and saw something huddled in the corner of the ceiling. It was...

"A bat?" Schuldig wished his eyebrows back so he could raise them. "What are you doing up there?"

"Hanging around?" Nagi sounded annoyed. More annoyed than usual. "What do you think I'm doing? I'm trying to get used to this ultrasound thing. It makes my head hurt even if you are not poking around in it."

"Well, Crawford needs you. You need to do some research."

"How?" Nagi's voice pitched up and made Schuldigs ears ring. "I don't have hands anymore."

"You need hands to use your computer? Now that´s new. Use your gift, moron."

Schuldig turned around and made a mental note, that a tail made this move even more impressive. But he still did not approve the situation. Were they the only ones or were other people affected as well? He reached out and caught confused thoughts all around him. There was a torrent of hows and whys out there mixed with anger, fear and disorientation. Normally he would have enjoyed such chaos, but this was serious. They had to turn back into humans as soon as possible.

With a little effort he managed to turn on the TV. Changing the station was more difficult but finally he reached a news channel. There was a baboon sitting in front of the camera.

"Tokio is a mess," it just said. "People have turned into animals everywhere. Specials forces tried to leave the city, but did not manage to do so. Some kind of electric field seems to trap everyone inside. The police is working to maintain the public safety and order. Please follow their instructions and try to stay inside if possible. We will inform you..."

Schuldig turn his attention from the television to the badger that had entered the room.

"So, this is all over the place. What do you think who did this?"

"I suspect this is a revenge. You remember the appointment I had last moth with Dr. Nakomura?"

"The weird science lady who wanted Schwarz to fight for animal rights?"

"Exactly. I refused to work for her and she got a little upset."

"She screamed after you that you will bitterly regret it," Schuldig specified. "You think she is behind this?"

"She mentioned some things that indicate she might have this power. But we will have to investigate further. And there is something else."

"What?" Schuldig perked his ears again. Yuck, this seemed to be habit-forming. More than the tail which twitched with his indignation.

"We have to contact Weiß. I had a vision that we will need them so be successful."

"Weiß?" The fox wrinkled his nose. "You really think this is a wise idea?"

"I don't," the badger replied. "But it is our only chance."

* * *

The plot just hit me so I decided to give it a try in English. It has been a while since I wrote something in foreign tongue, so there may be some mistakes especially in punctuation. I hope I got the spelling right, though. Please do not hold back to criticize anyway.

Music: "What does the fox say" by Ylvis


	2. Chapter 2

There were things in life that Yoji really appreciated. Like sleeping in late until one of his teammates yelled at him to drag his lazy ass out of bed. And than keep staying in bed until someone (usually Ken) banged at his door loud enough to let the house come down. And then there were these mornings when he woke up on his own accord. Usually because he had to use the bathroom. Like today. The tricky thing was getting to the bathroom and back without anyone noticing. Sometimes he managed to do so, but most of the times Aya caught him. Like he had some kind of 'lazy bum radar'. So getting up meant a real challenge and Yoji was not quite sure he wanted to take it right now. But his body thought otherwise so he rolled over and suddenly landed on the floor. Ouch, this was unexpected. And somehow he did not feel like getting up. Perhaps it was still very early and he was still too drunk to walk properly? Must be it. So he would just stay down here and crawl through the hallway to get to his destination. Maybe that would keep Aya from his tail.

He managed to open the door without opening his eyes. He knew from experience that sunlight would lead to headache and he did not want any of that. His morning breath was really killing him today anyways. Some of the drinks must have been spiked with something very nasty. He would have wondered some more, but his bladder told him to hurry. So he just kept crawling until he somehow felt he was being watched. He stopped and opened his eyes just a little bit.

There was a cat sitting in the middle of the hallway watching him with an intense stare. It had short brown fur with a touch of red to it, long legs and quite large ears. He knew this kind of cat, because: Of course they had looked up their codename breeds. This was an Abyssinian cat. How it got here was a miracle to him, but not one he wanted to solve right now. The bathroom was still calling him, so he decided to ignore the cat and keep crawling. Maybe he would make it before Aya caught sight of his indignity of not being able to stand up straight.

He turned his back to the cat and headed for the bathroom, when suddenly Aya appeared out of nowhere. At least his voice did.

"You are a dog," he said and Yoji winced at his tone.

"Oh come on. It´s too early to be this insulting."

"It was not an insult, it was a fact," Aya stated and came closer. When Yoji opened his eyes the cat had come into view again. And it was talking. With Ayas voice!

"This is not funny. Not at all," Yoji declared and tried once again to get up. He failed and landed on his butt. He looked down and...

"Whoah, what´s that?" He looked at the thin and hairy thing between his legs. Those legs, however, were still long but somehow bent in the wrong places and far too hairy, too. He ivestigated further and his hands were just not there. Instead he had slim, light brown paws matching the very short fur that covered his body. He did not care to look down his face. He knew he was to find a muzzle there. His once handsome face was gone and replaced with the derogatory look of an animal. A dog!

"Tell me this is a dream. Someone really had my drink spiked and in reality I am lying somewhere too drunk to remember my name."

"I'm afraid not," the cat answered. "Someone has turned everyone in Tokyo into animals. I just checked the news."

Yoji shook his head and had his ears flying around him. This was not good. Not at all.

"I need to pee," he said. "Everything else later."

He went for the bathroom and stopped to look back at Cat-Aya. "What kind of dog am I?"

The cat looked him up and down. "A greyhound as far as I can see. Don't know the exact breed, though."

A greyhound? Ok, that was not so bad. He might have turned into a poodle or something like that. And it meant he could reach the door handle without having to jump up.

When he came back he shook his head (the ears again!) "Using a human bathroom as a dog is an experience I dot not want to participate too often. So where are Ken and Omi?"

Cat-Aya started to answer but his words were overlayed with a furious scream from Omi's room.

"Why?" the youngest assassin wailed. "This is not fair. Why do I have to look like that?"

The dog and the cat look at each other and hurried to Omi's door. Yoji opened it and when it swung back the saw a very, very angry rabbit sitting on Omi's bed.

"So, you two got to be cool animals, right? Carnivores. And I am fluffy? FLUFFY!"

The rabbit looked as it was to tear someones throat with its teeth. Which were rather large. But despite the murderous look in his eyes, Omi was a really cute rabbit with light brown fur quite similar to Yoji's coloring.

The rabbit jumped from the bed and hopped into the hallway. "Where's Ken? Is he a little Fluffykins, too, or am I the only one? Ken? KEN!"

Omi kept yelling and running and Yoji felt the urge to run after him and catch him by his neck. A growl formed within his throat and he had to swallow quite hard to get it back down. From the look of it, Aya had the same problem.

"We need to get some food soon," Aya stated before he joined Omi who was banging his little paws against Ken's bedroom door. He did not make much noise, though. His paws were too soft as it seemed.

"Let me help," Yoji offered and opened the door with no effort. Omi glanced up at him, swearwords in his still blue eyes, and hopped in.

The room was a mess as usual. There were clothes and soccer equipment lying around mixed with free weights, sport magazines and leftovers from at least three meals. Yoji wanted to lick them and shook his head to get rid oft that feeling. Oh, theses ears really started getting on his nerves.

He turned his attention to the bed were the room's owner was happily sleeping on his back. And dreaming judging from the movement of his paws and the whining and woofing he was doing.

"Ken, wake up!" Omi called and Ken did. He literally jumped up, sneezed and was there.

"Oi, don't do that, Omi", he barked. "You scared the hell out of...Omi?"

The black and white shepherd dog tilted his head and looked at the rabbit in front of him.

"Who are you?"

"It's me. Omi," the rabbit snarled. "We all got turned into animals last night. That's Yoji and Aya over there."

The shepherd dog looked at the other dog and the cat and sneezed again. "This must be one of the weirdest dreams I ever had", it mumbled under its breath.

"Unfortunately this is not a dream. We really turned into animals and so has everyone else in Tokyo." Aya jumped up the bed as well and started liking his front paws. When he realized, what he was doing, he stopped and had such a confused look on his face with his tongue sticking out, that Yoji just started to laugh.

"You look really stupid," he yelped and got a hiss and a claw directed straight at his nose. He instinctively jumped back and started to growl.

"Hey guys, I think we have bigger problems right now,"Ken said.

Yoji fought his tongue, but could not resist. "Yes, we need to solve this before Aya starts coughing up hairballs."

Aya glowered at him. "Or you and Ken start sniffing at each other's rear ends."

"Touché," Omi stated dryly.

"So, were do we start?," Yoji asked and finally sat down. He really wanted to run, which was rather unusual and really not helping. "Omi, can you still use your computer?"

The rabbit looked at its paws. "I'm not sure. Maybe if I am really, really careful."

"You could take a pencil into you mouth," Ken offered. "Should be easier to reach the right button."

"But we do not know, what we are looking for," Aya interjected. "The city is full of cats and dogs and what else and nobody seems to have any clue what happened."

Omi sat on his hind legs and started grooming his ears with his paws. It seemed to help him think. "Maybe we should try to reach Manx or Birman. Kritiker might have some information, but I really doubt it. This is so frustrating."

He started to nibble away at Ken's bed sheets.

"Hey, stop that. I still need those," Ken barked. "And I need something to eat. I feel like I'm starving."

"So do I", Yoji nodded. Maybe this was a dog thing. Aya seemed to be much calmer about that. "Let's go and grab a bite to eat. Than we can think how to get back to human form."

The four animals were just about to leave the room, when there was a knock at the window. The knock was followed by some serious cursing and suddenly the window went up by itself. Something small entered the room and went flying around the overhead light until it finally grabbed the electrical cord.

"This is the stupidest idea ever," the little bat said and looked down on them with disdain.

"Hello Weiß. Crawford wants to meet you on the outside."

* * *

Music: "Last Friday night" by Kate Perry

Really: Should I continue or is this horrible to read? I'm still fighting the punctuation. :/


	3. Chapter 3

Yoji looked after the bat that had left the room through the open window. "I don't like that."

"Me neither," Aya answered and jumped from the bed. "But I think we have to follow him. They seem to have some kind of idea, what's going on."

"Accepted. Let's move then."

When the came to the back yard there were a badger and a fox sitting next to each other and watched them leave the building. Catching their sight, the fox broke into laughter and had visible trouble containing its amusement despite the warning look the badger gave him.

"Who let the dogs out?" the fox snorted and started laughing again. It seemed that the orange haired bastard had not only kept his hair color but also his ill sense of humor.

Yoji looked around for the forth member of their opponents and spotted a small white-furred animal next to a trash bin. What was it? A weasel?

"It's a ferret, goofy," the fox informed him. "Unlike you we did not turn into fat, lazy pets."

Yoji let out a growl. "Who do you call fat, you flee infested neckpiece?"

"Easy now," Aya intervened. He sat down and watched the ferret do the same. "You wanted to talk. Shoot."

The badger cleared its throat. "It seems that anyone in Tokyo turned into animalistic form. We might have a clue how to end this. But we need your help."

"Help?" Ken barked. "What kind of help? We do not trust you. Ever since we met you tried to kill us."

"That was different then," the badger replied in a smooth tone. "This time we have to work together. Nagi has done some research and it seems that the source of the transformation was disseminated by air. The effect will get stronger based on the duration of exposition. If we stay like this too long, it might be permanent."

Crawford, as the badger's name seemed to be, gave them time to let his words sink in. Yoji was terrified by the thought of staying a dog. Not seeing his own features ever again really was too much to bear. He would do almost anything to get back to his human form. If he had to work with the devil for that, so be it.

The fox' grin widened. "You flatter me. What about your friends?"

Yoji looked at Aya. The cat's face did not give away anything just as usual. Being a cat really fit Aya like a glove. Omi on the other hand...

"We'll do it," the rabbit announced. "I don't want to spent my life being fluffy."

"You look tasty to me as well", the fox added licking its lips. "Race me, rabbit?"

"Schuldig!" The badger's voice was still smooth but with a warning tad to it. The fox smirked and looked at the ferret. "We should get hunting and..."

He froze, cocked his ears and snarled at something behind them. "Who's that?"

Yoji turned around and spotted a calico cat sitting on the door sill.

"Relax it's just a cat. A _normal_ cat", he added after giving his assertion a second thought.

"You have a cat?," the fox asked. "And a pet turtle, too?"

"What? A turtle?" Yoji watched closer and saw a wrinkled head appear in the door.

"You boys are out there?" an old women's voice asked. _Oh no, it's Momoe-san. We have to keep them from noticing her._

"I'll take care of that", he assured and went to get Momoe-san back in. Maybe if he acted as if nothing suspicious happened they would not notice.

"Yoji, is that you?", the turtle asked.

"Yes, Momoe-san. Please go inside. We will handle this."

"Oh, this might take a while. I have a slow day today." The turtle made a little chuckling noise. "And I am kind of hungry. Would you mind getting me some salad? And perhaps some cucumber, too. I really feel like it."

"Of course." Yoji smiled or at least he hoped he did. It was still hard to get used to this nuzzle.

"Make that two," Omi said and hopped next to him. "I'm afraid the negotiation with Schwarz will take a while. And Aya said we should take a look at the shop. Ken heard something suspicious there."

"So Ken can go and see for himself," Yoji huffed. "He's the watch dog after all. I have a woman to take care of."

Omi rolled his eyes, but called out to Ken as well. The shepherd dog jumped up. "Ok, I'll check. Be right back."

Schuldig watched the dog leave and shared a look with Farfarello. They both took of without any words spoken between them.

The badger glanced around. "I suggest we take this conversation somewhere more private. Do you happen to have a room we could use?"

Aya looked at Omi. The rabbit nodded.

"Briefing room, then,"Aya said and turned around. He did not have to look and see if the badger followed him. He somehow could feel the animal move behind him. His new improved senses seemed to be quite useful, when it came to observation. He heard something flutter above his head and knew that the bat would be there, too. Maybe splitting up Schwarz was not such a bad idea.

Ken heard the jostling crowd, before he saw them. There were high-pitched voiced mixed with quacking and clucking and cackling. When he came to the door and looked through the glass, he could not help a whine.

"You gotta be kidding me. The fan girls? Really?"

He eyed the bevy of hens and geese and ducks piling up in front of the shop. The all tried to get a view of the inside and when one of them spotted Ken, there was a squeal followed by even more chattering.

"Who is it?"

"Is it Omi?"

"Let me see?"

"It's a dog. We confirm a dog here."

"It must be Ken. Just look at the colors!"

Inch by inch Ken crept backwards towards the back of the shop. He just could not believe it. These girls had been transformed into animals and all they cared about was what animals the four florists turned into? They seriously had to do something about this stupidity. But what?

"Maybe I can help."

Ken jumped up and yelped. The fox watched him with sleek look on his face.

"Oh, little doggy got scared?"

Ken felt someone creep up to him and snarled at the ferret that looked down on him from the sales counter ready to jump. "Keep those paws where I can see them."

The ferret grinned and slid down from the counter. His one eye wandered to the poultry crowd on the outside.

"Look's like dinner is ready," it said to the fox, who nodded in return.

"Just as I was thinking."

Both wild animals circuited Ken and headed for the door. He watch in horror, that the fox lowered his head and made small steps as if to sneak up to the birds. The ferret was not far behind clicking its teeth in anticipation. Ken pulled himself together and rushed to the door. He positioned himself between the fox, the ferret and the door.

"You will not leave the shop," he said with determination. "I will not allow you to harm any of the girls."

"Ah, a knight in shining armor," the fox chuckled. "And how will you get rid of them? When they come in here there will be chaos all over. They will look for the others and I recommend this not to happen."

"He's right," the ferret joined in. "Let me take out or or two of them. Three or four maybe. The others will run off, when the see the dead bodies. You get you share of the feast if you want to?"

"Yuck, this is disgusting." Ken shook his head. "You are talking about cannibalism here."

The fox rolled his eyes. "We are hunters, they are prey. Besides, they are a different species. You can hardly call this cannibalism."

"But they are human beings. You can't just kill them."

The fox gave him a derogative look. "We're the bad guys, remember? We kill whoever we like and whenever we like. Just like that."

"NO!" Ken bared his teeth and growled at the fox. "You will not kill any of the fan girls. You hear me?"

"Fan girls?" the fox marveled. "You mean, they come here just to see you and get an autograph? This is ridiculous. Let's end this farce, Farfarello. I'm starving."

"Your wish is my command."

The ferret hopped along with the fox both of them ignoring Ken completely. He realized that he could not fight both of them at once. Thus, he did the only thing that came to his mind. He jumped up, opened the door and went berserk amount the poultry.

"Get off!" he barked and fake-snapped at a very pushy goose that wanted to squeeze past him to get inside the shop. "We're closed. Go back home. Leave!"

The were cries and shrieks and a lot more feathers flying around than he had expected. He felt the urge to really bite someone, but kept careful control to always miss the wings and necks he aimed for with his teeth. His feet worked on their own, went left and right and effectively drove the crowd away from the shop.

When he finally same back to the shop's door his tongue hanging out at the side of his muzzle, the fox gave him a sour look. "

"You owe me diner, dog."

"Don't provoke me, fox," Ken growled.

"My name's Schuldig," the fox answered. "And I am still hungry. So, if you don't want me to take a bite of your furry friend in the basement, I suggest we get some meat here, soon. I guess, Farfarello will appreciate that as well."

The ferret nodded and licked its teeth.

Ken heard a deep grumble that originated from his own belly. Maybe food should be the next point on their list.

"Alright," he grunted. "I know somewhere. But if you harm anyone until we get there, you will be in deep trouble."

"Just take the lead. We will follow you wherever you go," Schuldig said, but Ken was not sure, if he liked the smirk that accompanied that declaration. The only thing he could do was hope

* * *

Music: "Who let the dogs out" - Baha Men


	4. Chapter 4

When they reached the basement, Aya jumped onto the sofa Yoji normally occupied. It felt quite comfortable under his paws and he just _knew_ it was rightfully his. The cushions felt warm and soft and he treaded some more to enjoy the feeling under his flexing toes. The fleeciness caressed his senses and he started to make a low, purring sound in his throat. Yes, this would be the perfect place for a nap. He felt a deep drowsiness rise and closed his eyes just a little bit. Through the half closed lids he saw a greyhound coming downstairs. The dog headed straight for the sofa, but slowed down, when he noticed Aya sitting right in the middle. His ears dropped and he started to wave his tail. So he was up for a fight. Aya knew he was. The dog's body language was telling him so. His own tail tip started to twitch and the purring stopped. This sofa was his and only his. No dog would ever set foot here.

"Aya?," the dog whined. He stepped forward and got rewarded with a hiss and a sharp claw missing his nose only by inches. The dog jumped back and woofed in confusion. Aya closed his eyes to mere slits again and watched closely for any attempts to come near his sofa. If the dog tried anything funny, this meant war. And...

"If you are done fighting over seating accommodations, we might return to the purpose of this meeting."

Aya's eyes snapped open. What did he just do? He looked at the badger, that had crawled upon the chair on the opposite side of the table. Their heads were leveled now and he was sure, that he saw a smirk decorating the black and white face.

"The effects of the transformation get stronger when your basic needs are not met", the badger said. "If you are hungry, thirsty or tired, you become more and more bestial."

Aya shook his head. This transformation really was a serious problem. He felt the influence of his animal side getting stronger and stronger. And he was so tired. He remembered the fact that cats used to sleep almost the entire day. Maybe he would have to adjust to that rhythm as long as he stayed a cat. But now was not the time for a catnap. There was business to do.

"You know who is responsible for this?" Aya asked and stifled a yawn.

"One of our clients got upset when we refused to continue to work for her. Dr. Nakomura is a highly skilled scientist and we suspect that she developed the formula that gave us our new visual nature. Her laboratory is in the east part of the city. This is were the transformation wave seems to have started. And it also appears to be the source of the power field corralling the residents as well as the gas cloud accountable for the metamorphosis."

"So all we have to do is go there and destroy the lab?" Yoji asked. Aya fought the urge to drive him away from the sofa he had finally managed to jump on. It still did not feel right to have anyone near him.

"I doubt that this wold be a good idea," Omi said. "If the gas is set free, the transformation might spread even wider."

"We suspect this as well," Crawford replied and lifted a paw to his face. He paused and frowned before he put the obnoxious limb down again. "In addition to that, we think that we need the laboratory and Dr. Nakomura to reverse the effect of the gas. Although getting her cooperation could pose some difficulties for us. She might be a little reluctant to help Schwarz as we did not excactly part as...friends so to say."

"So blatantly put, this is all your fault. And now you come knocking on our door to clean up your mess." Yoji's face was all smug. "Who would have guessed?"

The bat, Nagi, who was sitting on the head rest of Crawford's chair whispered something. Normally Aya would not have understood a word. But right now his ears and whiskers automatically adjusted themselves so he could hear, what the bat was saying.

"Let's leave, Crawford. Theses degenerated imbeciles won't be of any help. We can fix the problem by ourselves."

The badger shook his head. "There is no need to susurrate, Nagi."

"And it's useless anyway. We heard you, bat boy." Yoji winked at the little animal that glared at him in return.

"Weiß will be needed to return into our human selves. I definitely know that."

Aya remembered some of their past meetings where Crawford had claimed to see the future. So did he have a vision of what was to happen? This was still so hard to believe. It might as well just be a trap. But if it was, it was the worst trap he ever experienced. Apparently Schwarz was not happy about the transformation either. So if they only wanted to achieve their goal, it would have been wiser to stay Human. But they hadn't. Probably because they couldn't. So it really was not wise to trust them, but working together seemed to be the only chance they had. He stifled another yawn. If he did not get any sleep soon, he would just drop of the sofa. To avoid this embarrassment, he stood and stretched.

"Share all your information with Omi and Yoji. I will...investigate something."

"Aya?" Yoji tilted his head. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Aya anything but hissed. "Now do as you're told. I'm off."

He jumped of the sofa and hurried up the stairs. He could feel the stares following him, but being a cat also had its advantages. Disappearing into nowhere did not represent a problem. His instincts led him just to the right place where he would not be found for the next two hours. Or three maybe. They would be able to do without him.

Omi turned his attention from the door Aya just slipped through to the flutter above his head. The bat headed for his office chair in front of the computer. It landed on the back rest and looked at his computer in disgust.

"Don't tell me you work with this piece of junk. It's amazing how you even manage to finish a task before it crashes."

Omi flattened his ears. "Don't let the looks deceive you. It's quite well equipped on the inside."

The bat made a disapproving noise and suddenly the computer came to live. He had not even touched it.

"How...how did you do that?" Omi looked up at the lightened screen in awe.

"Telekinesis," the bat simply stated. "I do not have to touch something to work with it. Quite advantageous when you don't have hands anymore. Now shut up and listen."

Omi sat on his hind legs and stretched his whiskers. He could not sense anything from the bat except for a faint smell. Of course, he had not seen the youngest member of Schwarz fight very often. Usually it was only the other three or even just two of them, who kept Weiß quite occupied. He wondered why, because being able to move objects just by thinking about it sounded like a very powerful ability to him. Why did Schwarz hold back to use this power?

"Are you finished staring?" The bat...Nagi sounded annoyed. The keys of the computer kept typing away while he spoke. A map had appeared on the screen and it seemed, that Nagi was outlining a way to their destination. Another window popped up and showed something that looked like data from a security system. Now that was something Omi could work with.

"Let me see," he said and hopped onto the chair. It spun around on the impact and the bat squeaked as it dug its claws into the material of the back rest.

"Watch out!"

The chair stopped and now it was Omi who fought not to drop down from the seat because of the sudden halt. Luckily he regained his balance quite quickly and managed to stay put. He glared up at the bat that returned his angry stare.

"May I continue?" Nagi asked after a few moments.

"I'd appreciate that."

Both animals turned their heads to the screen and Nagi's monotonous voice describe the details he had found out.

Yoji looked at the two youngsters and snickered. "They seem to get on quite well. I think we can leave them at that task. Don't you agree?"

He looked at the badger that had some-when started licking and nuzzling its gray fur. It was so caught up in the exercise that Yoji had to bark at it/him, to regain Crawford's attention. The short confusion on the black and white face was quickly replaced with the cool composure the leader of Schwarz normally displayed.

"As I said, if basic needs are not met, the bestial side gets stronger."

Yoj nodded in agreement. "I know, what you mean. Personally, I'm torn between the urge to give chase to rabbit Omi and the desperate need for a smoke. As neither of that will happen: Would you like to join me to inspect our fridge? I would not bet on the contents, though."

The badger looked at him. "You know, this is just a business arrangement? We have no interest to befriend you."

"Yeah, yeah. But I am hungry and so are you. So take that stick out of your furry ass and tag along."

Yoji jumped from the sofa and went to the stairs. He turned to see, if the badger came after him. To his surprise, he really did. The sturdy animal passed him by and began to climb the steps one by one. Yoji supposed, the short legs made it kind of difficult to go any faster. He was surprised to see rather larges claws attached to the black paws. They scratched the metal in a way that made Yoji think of shovels. Perhaps badgers were normally into digging? Who knew? He had of course not been surprised that his sense of hearing had improved by far and that he was now able to distinguish between so many different smells. It was like an olfactory orgasm most of the time. He hardly could keep himself from sniffing at every corner. It really was about time to grab a bite.

* * *

Music: "I'm too sexy" - Right said Fred


	5. Chapter 5

The street was packed with animals of different sizes, shapes and colors. Ken saw cats, dogs, all kind of poultry, three pigs, a flock of sheep and even a horse grazing on a street corner. The trees above his head were occupied with canaries and budgerigars and he heard hamsters, guinea pigs and mice squeak in every corner. There were rabbits and other small animals he could not name with grey fur, round ears and a tail like a plumed tassel.

"The fat mouse is a chinchilla." Schuldig stared and liked his lips "I wonder what they taste like."

"Keep your mouth...er...muzzle shut," Ken growled and sped up a little This was more difficult than he had thought. He had forgotten that he could not just hop on the bus. (The bus driver had turned into a goat and started chewing away at the seats.) Hence, the way to his favorite food spot was a little more time-consuming than usual. On the way he had to keep an eye or both on the Schwarz fellows who deemed anything that moved edible. Even the horse.

"Horse meat is a delicacy in Japan, no?" Schuldig looked innocent but Ken was not going to let his guard down.

"Yes. But the horse is much bigger than you are. A lot of it would go to waste. It's not worth it."

The ferret, Farfarello, snickered. "I doubt that. You see the pack of dogs over there? I can sense their blood lust getting stronger with every minute. The moment we attacked the horse they would join in. Wanting their share of the warm, reeky meat. Sinking their fangs into flesh and bones and..."

"Stop!" Ken barked and bared his teeth. The were wet as he was drooling. The images of food conjured up by the alluring words of the ferret had been everything it needed to nearly push him over the edge. He shook his head in disgust.  
"You _are_ mad."

The ferret grinned, its one eye glittering in the sunlight. "Maybe yes, maybe not."

Suddenly the wind changed. Ken could tell by the turn of smells he sensed and the way his fur was ruffled from tail to neck. It was an odd feeling. But before he could shake off the sensation, the fox next to him hissed a curse.

"The took up my scent. Let's move."

Ken looked around and saw that the dogs on the other side of the street were staring in their direction. In Schuldig's direction to be precise. He knew what they were experiencing. The fox had a strong smell. At least it was stronger than most of the other animals they met so far. Ken had noticed that and gotten used to it by now. Yet to the other dogs the smell was like a red light arrow pointing directly at him and the two members of Schwarz.

"Want me to take care of them?" the ferret asked. Ken was sure he heard hope swinging between the words.

"Tempting," the fox answered. "You think you can take them down?"

Farfarello sat on his hind legs and tilted his head. He really seemed to be thinking about it.

The dogs – five as Ken counted – started to cross the street. They fanned out in order to circle them. He was not quite sure about the races of all of them, but the spearhead certainly was a Rottweiler. The huge black and brown dog lowered its thick head and Ken could hear him growl. A low rumbling noise that made Ken's hackles rise. He felt a resembling growl emerge in his own throat. He swallowed and turned away by sheer willpower.

"Schuldig's right. Let's move before they can corner us."

"Too late," the fox stated and nodded into the direction they had been heading before. Two of the foreign dogs had closed up on them and were blocking their way. Ken cursed under his breath. This was not good. He had to get them out of here.

"Hey, you there!" The Rottweiler had come close enough so Ken could see the vicious expression in his eyes. He bared his teeth a little while talking. "We want the fox."

"Well, you can't have him. He's mine." Ken decided to get straight to the point. "Now move it and let us pass."

"And if we don't?" Another dog rose to speak. He was shorter than the Rottweiler but almost as sturdy. His short white fur bulged over his muscled body and his large muzzle, that reminded Ken a little of a pig snout, was loaded with a bunch of pointy teeth. Ken got the impression that he would not let got if he once had something between them. A fox for example. He did look a bit stupid, though.

"You can't have him," Ken insisted. He felt the last two dogs creep up to his back. They were successfully surrounded now and it looked as if they would have to fight their way out. He gritted his teeth and tried to steady his stand. This would not be easy. While he still tried to decide, if it would be wiser to attack first, he heard a smooth, slightly nasal voice say:

"Why don't you take the shepherd dog instead? He's much beefier than I am. Tastier too, I suppose. I heard that foxes are quite sinew on the inside."

Ken spun around and looked at Schuldig in disbelieve. The traitor! How could he sell Ken's hide in order to save his own? And he would even have fought to defend this bastard.

The fox winked at him and his lips curled into a smirk. Ken fought the urge to go for his throat.

"Perhaps he's right." One of the dogs who stood behind them – a middle-sized mongrel with brown, curly fur – wrinkled his nose. "I don't like chewy meat."

"Oh, shut up, Yuuto. We don't want to eat them." The Rottweiler growled at his comrade, who did not back up, though.

"But I'm hungry", the mongrel whined. "You promised us food, Manabu."

The other dogs agreed to that. Before the Rottweiler could respond, Schuldig spoke up again.

"I see," he said his voice still smooth and gentle. "You poor creatures were lured here by false promises. All these possibilities of getting your rumbling bellies full of the finest food, but your leader put his ego before your well-being. If I were you, I would not follow someone like that."

"You...," The Rottweiler growled. "I will take you down personally. I..."

Before he could continue, a small white shadow flung itself at him. The next thing the huge dog noticed were spiky teeth sinking into his neck. He jumped up and tried to snap at the thing on his back, but he could not reach it. He growled and yelped and whined while jumping around like a humming-top. However, the only thing he managed to achieve was his left ear being bitten to pieces. Blood ran down his face and got into his eyes. He finally threw himself onto his back to crush the biting menace, but the ferret easily dodged the move and sprang down before it was pressed flat. Farfarello licked his lips, blood staining his white fur. He turned towards the next dog and grinned.

"You see, I got a ferret and I know how to use it," Schuldig informed the dog's leader who was still trying to stop the bleeding. "You were saying?"

"You will regret that," the Rottweiler growled. "Go get them, guys!"

The other dogs did not move. Their eyes strayed between their beaten leader, the threatening ferret and the fox who had even set down and was smiling at them. Ken could literally feel the turn of the tides.

"Go!" he barked at the smallest of the group. "Before you are next. Leave and don't come back here!"

The white and brown dog whimpered and stuck his tail between his legs. He began creeping backwards the other dogs following his example. The sturdy pig-dog was the last to shoot a nasty look at Ken, but when Farfarello jumped in his direction he was sent packing as well. Ken let out a gasp of relief.

"That was close." He looked at Schuldig, who did not seem to be impressed.

"Was not," the fox disagreed. "It could have been, if I let you handle the situation, though. They were ready to tear you apart."

"And whose fault was that?" Ken had not forgotten about the suggestion Schuldig had made to the pack. "You would have sacrificed me."

The fox managed a shrug. "You might have won. You are not a bad fighter after all. A little slow and head-over-heels, yes, but not bad."

Ken could just gape at the fox who rose and walked past him as if nothing had happened. He could not even muster the desire to snap at the red furred jerk. He just shook his head and followed the fox and the ferret hopping happily at his side. The fight seemed to have left Farfarello in a good mood. Perhaps this, at least, was a relief.

Ken did not wonder about their walking succession until they reached the exact restaurant he had been heading for. Who did those two know about it? He decided to put the question aside. His hungriness was becoming overwhelming and coherent thoughts had to be saved for later. Now was the time for food.

There was a sign at the front door that proclaimed the restaurant closed. Thus, Ken took the small alley next to the building to reach the back entrance. A concrete stairway led to a metal door with a knob. Ken looked up at it and barked in frustration. He had not thought about how to get into the restaurant. Maybe the owner would hear him.

"Yuma! I know you are in there. Open the door. It's me, Ken." He scratched the door in order to draw attention. Then he fell silent and listened. There was a very faint noise he could not quite classify. He scratched again.

"Come on, let me in! Yuma!"

"We're closed. Come back tomorrow", a small voice told him. It was quite high-pitched and did not at all fit the picture he had in mind. A stout man in his 50s with a slightly stained apron, hairy arms and a wide smile. This sounded more like a...rodent.

"Yuma?" Ken tilted his head and cocked his ears. He sniffed at the crack at the bottom of the door and was sure he smelled something. It made him want to go through the door and bite it. Before he knew, he was digging frantically at the door to get in. His whining filled the air.

"What is it with dogs and rats?" Schuldig wondered at Farfarello who looked interested as well.

"Perhaps it's the squeaking", the ferret said and watched the dog who was still trying to get through the door no matter what. "Dogs have a different hearing range than humans. The frequency might be appealing to them."

Schuldig huffed. "We will not get in like this, though. A much as I'd like to cause some more havoc, I do not want Crawford to give me one of his lectures for being late. So, I guess it's time to take matters into my own hands...or paws as it is."

He cleared his throat and barked: "SIT!"

Ken felt something like a mental smack and suddenly his behind hit the floor by reflex. He blinked in confusion. What happened? He looked at Farfarello and Schuldig. The latter was wearing a rather smug grin.

"No need to thank me. Just go on with your business."

Ken blinked some more and turned to the door again. "Ah...um...Yuma? It's Ken. Still. Will you please open the door?"

"I can't," the voice from the inside answered. "What will the patrons think, if they see a rat in my restaurant? I would be ruined."

"Everyone has been turned into animals. No-one will spare a second glance at you. Please, Yuma, we need your help."

There was a long silence on the other side of the door. Then suddenly, when Ken already thought Yuma had abandoned them, he heard small feet scamper up the door. A moment later it swung open, a fat rat clinging to the door handle.

"Come in," it said with Yuma's voice. "But help me close the door behind you."

They somehow managed to close the door, which presented some difficulties, given the fact that it opened to the outside. When it clicked shut, the rat fell down from its lofty seat, set on its hind legs and looked up at the three bigger animals. The whiskers on its nose vibrated as it scanned the furry faces.

"So, what can I do for you? I'm afraid the kitchen is to remain cold today. Although I imagine that you go for raw meet rather than cooked one."

Schuldig looked a little confused. "How do you know, what we want."

The rat smiled at him. "Ken's always here for food. I doubt that changed just because he runs on all fours now. Plus, I saw what's going on outside. I even..."

The rat's voice trailed off.

"You thought about letting the hungry animals in?" Schuldig sounded baffled. Ken supposed this was a rare sound.

The rat, Yuma, wrung its front paws. Ken knew that, if he had been still human, he would have blushed. "Well...yes. Many of them looked hungry. I guess it's a little hard to find food in a city like this. And with so many of them around, it won't be long until they start eating each other. I just...I was not sure, if it was wise. Me being a rat and everything."

"You are the wisest rat I have ever met," Ken said in a friendly tone. "And the most generous. I know why I come here that often."

"Because you would be broke if you had to pay your seconds and thirds somewhere else." The rat laughed. "Now let me show you around. You will find anything you need. I suppose we can go straight to the meat locker?" He looked at Farfarello. "Or are you vegetarian?"

The ferret just shook its head.

Yuma scurried past them and led them to a room Ken thought was heaven. At least in terms of food. He looked up at pork halves and sausages, hams of different sizes, loins, steaks and a whole bucket full of soup bones. He felt his drool hit the floor before he could swallow it back. At least Schuldig and Farfarello looked almost as fixated as he did. Yuma waved at them to take whatever they wanted.

"I will get you a bag so you can carry some home for the other ones. You all eat meat?"

Ken shook his head, while gnawing on a chunk of deep red meat. "Omi's a rabbit," he answered between two bites. He was not sure about their other two guests, but there was no need to give Yuma more trouble than they already did.

"I'll add some vegetables then," Yuma said and whizzed away to get the required items.

While his own belly got fuller, Ken could not help to think about what Yuma had said earlier. About the people eating each other. He had thought, at first, that this was only a problem with the two unscrupulous members of Schwarz. However, judging his own actions, this behavior was perhaps more widespread. And if it was, they had to do something about this transformation thing very, very quickly.

* * *

Music: "Midnight" - Swingrowers


	6. Chapter 6

Yoji stuck his nose into the refrigerator. "As I suspected. It's empty. Who's turn is it to go shopping anyway?"

He went to the board on the kitchen wall that held several pieces of paper, a chore schedule, a shopping list and Omi's timetable. He put his paws on the wall to take a closer look and groaned, as he spotted his name on the schedule for grocery shopping with a big, red exclamation point behind it. Whatever ancient god was behind this evil plot it really had chosen poor him to pick on. He felt the desire to throw back his head and howl.

He was stopped by the sound of plastic containers being moved. When he turned around, he saw the badger draw out the vegetable compartment from the bottom of the fridge. When it was settled neatly on the floor, the massive gray animal cautiously balanced on the rim and put his head inside. It re-emerged with an apple in his muzzle.

Yoji raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know badgers were veggies."

"They are not," Crawford informed him after he had swallowed a piece of apple. "They are omnivore. But as long as you do not have the package of minced meat hidden in your freezer defrosted, I will stick to the apples."

Yoji blinked. And then blinked again. "You're a clairvoyant, aren't you?"

The badger did not answer, but Yoji was sure to see the hint of a smirk in the corner of his mouth. Fine, then be it. He was already used to people being all mysterious about themselves. Living with Aya had taught him a lesson or two. The only thing he was interested in were the contents of the overhead freezing compartment. He had to get in there and see, if it really held something valuable.

Yoji glanced around and deemed a kitchen chair sufficient for his task. He pushed it in front of the refrigerator, hopped onto the seat and carefully put his paws up the smooth surface. He clenched the handle of the freezing compartment between his teeth and pulled, but it did not open.

"You have to change the angle," the badger said between two bites.

"I noh dat," Yoji answered with the handle still between his teeth. He let go of it, positioned himself anew and tried again. Now the compartment opened and a cool breeze washed over him. His stuck his head into the cold box and really spotted an angular package in one corner. He slowly dragged it out and let it fall down. It hit the kitchen floor with a loud bang. Yoji winced at the sound and almost lost his balance.

"Great", he muttered to himself. "Now all I have to do is wait for several hours unless I want to break all my teeth at the frozen lump. Maybe I could lick it? Like ice-cream?"

He tried but the cold bit his tongue so badly that he refused to give it another go. He barked at the frozen meat in frustration. Meanwhile Crawford had finished his second apple and went for the third before he paused and reconsidered. Then he carefully picked up the apple between his teeth and headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

Crawford put down the apple and turned back to Yoji. "I want to bring Nagi something to eat. We need him functionable for the up-coming events."

Yoji tilted his head. "You live together, don't you?"

A hesitated frown answered him. "This is none of you business."

"Well, tit for tat, my friend. You came here for our help, you ate our food. The least thing you owe me is information."

"You are a very curious person."

"Some would even call it nosy." Yoji grinned. "Kinda comes with the job description. I was a private investigator before I joined Weiß."

Crawford looked at him unmoved. "I will not give you personal information on any member of Schwarz including myself."

Yoji laughed out loud. "You are more closed-lipped than Manx when I ask her for a date. I doubt she even has a personal living space. Maybe Persia hides her in his closet."

Crawford's eyebrows moved up an inch. "Manx? Persia?"

Yoji rewarded him with a sweet smile. "That would be too much information, wouldn't it? I'd like to see what Manx turned into, though. With those legs I would go for a gazelle or something like that."

"A domestic animal would be more likely considering the fact that all of you turned into... _pets_."

"Yeah, that was something I wondered about." Yoji walked up to Crawford and studied his black and white face. "What makes you so special that you become wild animals when everyone else turns into Animal Farm inhabitants."

Crawford's expression turned into a mask of pure haughtiness. "I doubt that you are able to grasp the level of our superiority. You know about my ability and you have seen Nagi move things just by thinking about it. Do you really need more explanation? Also this would even add to my impression of you. You Weiß are just a small nuisance, not even worth sparing a second thought about. We would not even need our gifts to keep you at bay. You only live because we let you."

A growl escaped Yojis throat. He had tried nice, but I looked like Crawford would not give that easily. "If we are that superfluous, why are you here? What do you want from us? What is it, that we can do that you oh-so-superior beings can't."

An uneasy silence fell between them. They stared at each other until Crawford finally turned away.

"I have to go and see how Nagi is doing," he said, took the apple and wanted to leave, when Yoji spoke up again.

"You don't know and that scares you."

Crawford stopped in his tracks. He seemed to consider how to answer to that.

"I am not scared," he finally said. "Fear is something I have abandoned a long time ago."

Yoji wanted to take the stupid badger by his neck and shake some sense into him.

"How well do you think we will work together when you do not trust us? Give me a break from all that preening and put your cards on the table."

Crawford chuckled put the apple down again. "If I did that, would that not make this a child's game? If you want to play with the grown-ups, you have to know how to guess your opponent's moves."

"I thought we are on the same side this time."

The badger's striped face turned into a smirk. "Who knows." Then he picked up the apple and left for good.

Yoji watched him climb down the steps to the basement and growled. "Who does he think he is? Besides a man with strange psychic abilities turned into a ball of fur. Just like anyone else. He is no better than we are. Or is he?"

Yoji shook his head so hard his ears flapped around. "These Schwarz are really getting on my nerves." He went back to the kitchen and shot the package of meat a look. "And so are you! Maybe I should get some fresh air. Go for a walk or something. Seems like a better idea than to try the bathroom again. Heeding nature's call in the bath tub again is not an option. So off we go. And when I come back, diner's ready."

With that thought in mind he left for a small stroll around the block. He really missed his cigarettes, but the spring sun warming his sand-brown fur was convenient enough to let him forget. Or maybe it was the delicate Irish setter lady with the shiny fur and warm brown eyes, that kept him distracted a little longer than he had planned. When he came back, it was already late in the afternoon and his belly was rumbling loudly.

"I guess, it's supper time", he said to himself, as he went up the stairs to the kitchen. He was just about to burst in, when he suddenly heard something. He cocked his ears and listened carefully. There were small, wet noises. As if someone was munching something soft. But what was it...?

He nearly growled, when he realized, what must have happened. Someone had come to eat HIS food.

 _I'll kill him. Literally. This badger has better said his prayers._

Yoji ducked down and crawled forward. It was a bit difficult to get his long legs in order, but he was used to that. He crept forth until he reached the door opening and tentatively peeked in. What he saw made his jaw drop. There was a cat sitting in the middle of the kitchen. It had teared the package of minced meat open and had spread the content on half of the kitchen. Yoji swallowed when the smell of the meat hit him and made his mouth water. But what a willful waste of this heavenly gift was going on here? He looked in disbelief, as the cat picked up another chunk from the package and tossed its head around. The precious food was spread in every direction and the stupid feline only got a small bite of it into its muzzle. And now it went to get another piece. This had to come to an end. Now!

"Hey!" he barked and shot around the corner.

The cat, Yoji now finally remembered was Aya, literally jumped up several feet and caterwauled at the top of his voice. Unfortunately, his leap was stopped by the kitchen table under which he had withdrawn to eat. The table began to totter, the coffee mug placed on edge dropped down and shattered on the kitchen floor with a ear-piercing crash. Aya shrieked again and was up on the table in no time. From there he hissed and spat at Yoji, who had crouched down, paws over his head, to avoid any damage from the flying ceramics. His breath caught, when he saw Aya's tail twitch and turn, until it finally hit the vase in the middle of the table. It toppled over and poured its green and wet content over the already defiled meat.

Yoji closed his eyes. "I know, I need more vegetables and fibers in my diet, but this is ridiculous."

He sighed and got up. "Hey, Aya. Calm down. It's just me, not a cucumber sneaking up on you."

Aya's eyes were wide, his fur ruffled. He looked like a fluffed out sofa cushion with a bottle brush attached to it.

"What the..YOJI!"

"Live and in person. More or less."

"Where have you been? And where is everyone else?"

"Omi's still in the basement with Nagi and Crawford, I guess. I don't know about the others, though."

"You don't know?" Ayas expression changed from disheveled to disapproving. "Why don't you know? I was gone for almost three hours. What did you do in the meantime? Why didn't search for Ken and the other two Schwarz, if they are missing?"

"Well..." Yoji sat down and scratched behind his ear with his hind leg. "You see, at first I wanted to get something to eat, but then I got into a fight with Crawford instead." Aya's did not look the least satisfied so Yoji continued.

"After that I went for a walk. I did not want to stay and look at the meat I just could not eat."

He spared the kitchen a glance. It looked utterly devastated with pieces of meat and the broken mug all over the floor, the flowers withering on top of that and water dripping slowly from the table. The only neat thing left was Aya.

"A walk..." Aya said in a tone that made clear, he did not believe him. His almond-shaped eyes stared at Yoji as if he had something written on his forehead. Yoji instinctively draw back a bit.

"Mm-mhm. I needed to pee, you know, and after that..."

"Yes?" Aya leaned forward. He looked like he was ready to jump from the table and sink his claws into Yoji's nose. "What did you do after that?"

"Well..." A complacent grin decorated Yoji's face. "It seems like being a dog does not make me any less irresistible to the ladies. And dogs are much lees complicated when it comes to courting." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Eww, Yoji, stop! That's gross!" a high-pitched voice came from the kitchen door. "I wish I had fingers, so I could put them in my ears." Omi was sitting in the door frame and looked around with big blue eyes. "What happened? What did you two do to the kitchen?"

"That wasn't me!" Yoji immediately vetoed. "And you should be grateful I had such nice company. Otherwise I could be chasing you around to get diner as Aya ruined mine. Primal needs, you remember? Feeding them seems to lead to being more of your human self again. However, I cannot guarantee how long it will last."

Aya ignored Yoji's speech and focused his attention on Omi. "How far have you come with the mission plan?"

"It's almost complete. We still have to discuss some details, though. There is..."

Whatever Omi wanted to say was drowned in a loud crash from the basement followed by angry barks and shouts. The rabbit went alert, raised his ears and sniffed towards the kitchen door, his whiskers vibrating furiously.

"That's sounds like Ken. We should go and help him."

"Right behind you," Yoji answered. Nevertheless, he overtook Omi in the hall and went down the stairs in a rush. More shouting and growling could be heard somewhere near. He followed the sounds and came to the door that led to the shop. Behind it he could hear Ken bark intimidations and Schuldig's nasal voice answering him in a mocking tone. Yoji did not hesitate any longer. He jumped up, opened the door, went in and froze on the spot.

* * *

Music: Bulletproof - La Roux


	7. Chapter 7

Schuldig watched the rat pack the food he promised to give to them. The little animal wrapped everything in paper and put the packages into a bag.

"Bow down", it said to Ken and the black and white dog obeyed. The rat tied the bag around his neck and whistled approvingly. "That ought to keep it in place. Can you walk like that?"

"That's fine," Ken answered and waved his tail. "You're one true friend, Yuma."

The rat made a dismissive gesture with its front paws. "It's nothing. But I guess you should hurry. Your friends are waiting for you and I have patrons to attend. However, I doubt they have their wallets with them."

"I think they will come back to pay you, when we all have changed back to normal," Ken tried to reassure.

"I really hope so." The rat laughed. "But if we don't, I guess I won't notice it anyway. So it's fine either way. Now of you go!"

"We will. And thank you again!"

"You're welcome."

 _'If they don't stop this father and son-I-never-had crap, I will throw up. Literally!'_ Schuldig thought at Farfarello who was still chewing on something. Schuldig took a closer look and frowned. _'Chicken feet? Really? You got a whole haven of the finest meat to chose from and you go for chicken feet?'_

 _'The looked tasty'_ , Farfarello answered and swallowed the last piece. _'And they're good for your health. Why are you so mad about those two? Are you jealous?'_

 _'Of course not'_ , Schuldig replied and rolled his eyes. _'But I wonder if our boy wonder is really that glossy or if there is something more gruesome lying underneath.'  
'You heard something?' _Farfarello looked intrigued. He liked when Schuldig invited him into his games. They usually led to tears and violence at some point. He preferred the latter, while Schuldig went for the suffering. They matched each other so well.

 _'Perhaps.'_ The fox smirked. _'Want to see, if our Brutus is really a man of virtue or if we can push him over?'_

 _'_ Brutus _? I thought his name was Ken.'  
'Ah, that's from a German poem. _Der tugenhafte Hund. _Like to hear it?'  
'Please, spare me. Your language makes my ears curl up.'  
'You like Nietzsche, though.'_

 _'You got a point there.'_

"Are you two coming?" Ken looked at them impatiently. "We have a long way home."

"Home?" Schuldig mused. "Is that what you call this flower stuffed broom cupboard?"

"Well...yes. More or less. There's a flat above the store and... Wait a minute! Are you making fun of me?"

Ken turned round and growled at the fox.

"Wouldn't dream of it, _Brutus_." Schuldig snorted and tried to hide his amusement. Without success.

"My name is _Ken_ ," the shepherd dog said with a snarl.

"But you look so much like him," Schuldig replied, an innocent smile on his face. "It's a really famous German poem about a dog who carried home the groceries for his owner day by day. They praised him for being so reliable and intelligent."

Ken did not look very convinced, but turned around to resume his path.

 _'What is he thinking?'_ Farfarello wanted to know.

 _'He thinks I just made up an excuse. I'm hurt'_ Schuldig outright grinned at the ferret at his side. _'I did not tell him the conclusion of the poem, though. Because in the end, the noble dog feeds on his owner's belongings just like all the other common dogs that assaulted him earlier. He only had so see them do it to get drawn in.'_

 _'Madness is like gravity...all it takes is a little push'_ Farfarello quoted from their favorite movie. And Schuldig was good when it came to pushing.

"I wonder," he began while he caught up with Ken. "Are you Weiß really that close? I mean, you live together, but what do you know about each other? Are you friends? Do you trust them?"

"I would trust any of them with my life." Ken did not look at Schuldig. Otherwise he might have seen the mischievous gleam in the fox's eyes.

"Is that so?" Schuldig marveled. "I remember seeing at least two of them stray from your path of virtue. Little boy blue eyes and your red headed katana wielder were too much caught up in pursuing their own goals. And I do not see Blondie as a real team player. Player, yes, but not in a team. Isn't that right?"

Ken clenched his teeth. "We all have strayed from time to time."

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil", Farfarello recited while looking up at the sky.

Ken slowed down a bit and looked at the ferret. "Are you Christian?"

"He's Irish. That's pretty much the same." Schuldig shot Farfarello a look to stay quiet. He had discovered something. A name that had come to Ken's mind the moment he spoke about his lapse. Perhaps it was worth some more poking around.

"So if it really was the _case_ , that you went the wrong way, I am sure it was a _case_ of inevitability. Or more a _case_ of pride? Or maybe a _case_ of injustice?"

"Shut up!" Ken barked and nearly snapped at Schuldig, but something still held him back.

Schuldig could hear his thoughts running around like ants on an ant hill somebody had set on fire. He picked up the bits and pieces and finally got the full picture. He had to bite his lip no to laugh about the gullible simpleton at his side. How stupid was he to be cheated on by a so-called friend twice? Schuldig would have shot the bastard the moment he realized he was not dead. But not Ken, oh no. He kept on believing in man's inherent goodness until it bit him in the ass. What a fool! He even thought of Schwarz as a kind of new team members. Maybe it was about time to show him some of the dark light they were made of.

"We're there," Ken interrupted his thoughts. Schuldig shook his head. It seemed that he got lost in someone else's mind again. He had to keep alert to that. These Weiß really were too much fun. They were so dwelling in their misery and angst and still the clung to moralities and self-righteousness while washing the blood of their hands. It amused the hell out of him.

"All right, Brutus. So let's deliver your precious cargo. I don't see someone looking four you, though. Maybe they have decided to got without you? Maybe the deemed you expendable after all?"

"Your friends will abandon you," Farfarello gloomily added to the mood.

"Nice try, Schwarz," Ken snarled. "But they would have left you as well. I doubt that they would have done that. So get moving."

 _'He's not that stupid'_ Schuldig thought at Farfarello. _'I have to try something else.'_

 _'You've got an idea?'_

 _'Maybe...'_

When they got back into the shop, Schuldig looked around. He could sense the waves of comfort and reassurance radiating from Ken with every breath of the humid and soil-reeking air he took. This really was his home, his tie to a normal life, his anchor to sanity. The last straw Schuldig had to burn to get him. With a grin he knocked on of the plants over.

"Oops, I must have slipped."

"Hey, watch your steps", Ken growled. "We still need these."

"Really?" Schuldig smirked and crashed another potted preciosity. "Do you want me to stop, then? It must be hard to see your thin layer of normality falter."

He gave Farfarello a sign and the Ferret hopped onto one of the shelves. The next moment three of the flower pots were sent flying and landed with a loud crash.

Ken whirled around. "Stop that!" he growled and wanted to get Farfarello down, but the ferret had already jump onto the next shelf and continued his destructive work there. All Ken could do was jump back, so he was not hit by one of the pots. In the meantime Schuldig spilled the contents of the watering buckets on the floor. Roses, gerbera and lilies mixed into a colorful potpourri.

"Consider this a chance", the fox schmoozed. "It's time to jump into the rabbit hole, Alice. Just let go of all this and you will be free. Free to do whatever you like. Free to go out and get them. Free to kill."

"What are you talking about?" Ken snapped. He as torn between the two evildoers and Schuldig could sense his tension build up.

"Why don't you give up. You have no chance against us. Come on, Brutus. Come to feed."

"That's not my name!" Ken yelled and finally decided to go for Schuldig. He bared his teeth and growled from the depths of his throat. "I warn you. Get away from the flowers or you will regret it."

Schuldig smirked. "I see. You like the killing. You think that we deserve it. You are not reluctant to get your hand dirty. You think you are already doomed for hell so you might as well take us with you. So come on, then. Try to catch me."

Ken jumped forward and aimed a ferocious bite at Schuldig, but the fox was too quick for him and leaped onto the counter. He gave the cash register an push and it fell to the floor. Coins and bills spilled between the flowers and added an odd note to the picture. Meanwhile, Schuldig had no time to admire his work as he had to get away from Ken's fangs that now clearly aimed for his feet. He sprang from the counter and wanted to get away, when something heavy hit him. He fell over and was pressed to the floor by a very angry dog. Its teeth were only an inch away from his throat.

"You treacherous scumbag," Ken growled and the fox could feels the vibrations in his chest. "I never should have trusted you."

"You did?" Schuldig was really surprised. "Well, that was kind of stupid, wasn't it. I never said..."

"Schuldig!" An angry voice interrupted the both of them. Schuldig felt the weight of the dog being lifted from him and sent a small thought of approval to Nagi, who was fluttering above his head and had obviously used his gift to free him from the fuming shepherd dog.

"What have you done?" The whine came from the lanky greyhound who was standing next to Crawford. They really looked hilarious together.

"We redecorated," Farfarello said and bounced down from the shelf. Not without knocking another plant over.

"They ruined everything!" Ken barked and wanted to got for Schuldig's throat again, but Nagi still held him in place.

 _'I thought I had made it clear, that no-one from Weiß was to be hurt'_ Crawford growled in Schuldig's mind. This was a rare sensation. Normally the precog kept away from telepathic contact. Telepathy and precognition did not mix very well. In most cases it gave Schuldig the hell of a headache. When Crawford resorted to this form of communication, he was dead serious.

Schuldig got up on his feet and shook of the dirt on his fur. ' _We did not hurt him. We just...played with him. A little bit.'_

Crawford shot him a disapproving look. _'You nearly got killed in this game. We really have bigger problems to solve right now. I need you for this, Schuldig. You better get a grip quickly."_

Their connection ended with the telepathic equivalence of a slammed down telephone receiver. Schuldig winced and felt his ears twitch. Damn, he nearly had forgotten about those. Perhaps Crawford _was_ right. They had to change back to their human forms before he was stuck with these abominations forever.

Crawford turned round to the other animals. "It will be getting dark within the next two hours and we have a long way to Dr. Nishimura's laboratory. We have to leave at once, if we want to be on time before sunset."

"I disagree with that. We should wait until nightfall, before we go out. The streets will be much quieter than." The reddish cat had joined them together with the rabbit. It looked around the shop and frowned. "I hope you are going to refund the damage your subordinates have caused."

"Subordinates?" Schuldig snarled. He did not like the cat's attitude at all, but he contained himself when Crawford gave him a warning look again. This was not the time to discuss the line of command. However, he was getting thoughts about this topic from the leader of Weiß. The angry redhead wondered who was in charge of the whole operation and who would follow who's call. Schuldig passed this information to Crawford and leaned back as the two of them got into a serious argument about it. The really matched each other in stubbornness, but Crawford was much smoother with words. In the end he got the upper hand and the kitty hissingly retreated.

"As we won't reach the laboratory before darkness, we will wait until next morning to get there," Crawford declared.

"Didn't you say, we should get rid of this transformation as quick as possible?", the rabbit piped up. He had been nibbling on some salad leaves from Ken's bag until now, but got on his hind legs to speak up to the badger.

"We wouldn't reach our destination on time. We are too slow," Crawford tried to brush him of.

"I heard that", the rabbit continued. "But what if there was a possibility to get to the laboratory more quickly?"

Crawford turned to the rabbit and scrutinized its face. "You have an idea?"

The small brown animal blinked and hesitated a bit, before it said: "Yes, I do. But I will need your help for that."

* * *

Music: "What You Waiting For" - Gwen Stefani


	8. Chapter 8

"A car." Crawford's tone was flat. Not matter-of-fact-flat but I-am-disappointed-you-did-not-do-better-flat. Nagi did know the difference well.

"Yes, a car," the youngest Weiß was brave enough to repeat. And Nagi had given him some credit for not being a total nitwit. Not that it made him anything next to likable. Tolerable maybe, but nothing more.

 _'From you this is nearly a love declaration. What will you wear for the wedding? And who will be the bride?'_

 _'Shut up, Schuldig!'_ Nagi thought hard and slammed his mind shut. It was a little more difficult than usual with all the sensory impressions running in on him, but he managed to keep the obnoxious telepath out. At least for the moment.

He rolled his eyes, when Crawford turned away from the rabbit and it really had the nerve to hop on front of him and speak to him again. The only one that was more oblivious to the fact, that he was getting on Crawford's nerve, was the greyhound that was wolfing down chunks of meat from the bag the other dog had carried earlier.

"We would be there within half an hour. If we manage to get it going, that is."

"And how will we do this?" Crawford huffed. "None of us will be able to reach the gears, left alone stir the wheel."

The rabbit's ears dropped. "But...I have seen some dogs drive in cars. There were videos on the internet. And we are much smarter than common dogs. It's true, they had altered vehicles so they could just reach everything with their paws, but if we all work together it might..."

"Enough with that", Crawford interrupted and stared at the rabbit. It shrank back even more and Nagi was sure it would have blushed if that had been possible.

"But maybe he's right," a voice suddenly barged in. A voice from someone Nagi would not have dreamed in a thousand years to agree on one of Weiß's plans. He even imagined the sound of a thin needle scratching on vinyl.

Everyone's attention turned to Schuldig, who was sitting right in the middle of the wreckage he and Farfarello had caused. The fox smiled knowingly.

"Maybe we could go by car. I mean, we have someone who _is_ able to push all the necessary buttons."

He glanced up at the ceiling and everyone else followed his gaze. Hence, all animals were staring at Nagi. He felt his heart drop and his pulse rise.

 _'Schuldig, I'll kill you for that!'_ he thought viciously at the telepath, but Schuldig only smirked.

 _'You know you want to'_ he said in Nagi's head. _'And I'm sure you can do it. You have had some driving lesson, haven't you?"'_

 _'Yes, but...I'm not very good. And I'm a goddamned bat! How am I supposed to reach...oh.'  
_ Schuldig's smirk widened. _'See, I always thought you were smart. Come on, Nagi. This is your big chance. Make Crawford proud and help me get rid of these ears. Farfarello would like to get his knives back as well. The sooner, the better."_

Nagi felt a shiver run down his spine. _'I don't know...'_

 _'I'll help you'_ Schuldig offered. _'I'll sit in the driver's seat with you and tell you what to do.'_

Nagi glowered down at him. _'I am NOT going to sit on your lap!'_

Schuldig burst into laughter, which made the Weiß bunch looks at him suspiciously. Especially the greyhound narrowed his eyes and looked from Schuldig to Nagi and back again, as if he was assuming something going on between them. Nagi choose to ignore him. Anyway, he could not ignore the rabbit that got on his hind legs and snuffled in his direction.

"Is that true, Nagi? Could you do that?"

He breathed deeply and cooled his mind. He did not want to give away any hint of his uncertainty by an unsteady voice.

"Of course I can. Crawford?"

He looked at the badger. He would not let Weiß get to him, but he had to ask Crawford for permission first. The black and white face studied him and then gave a tiny nod. That was all Nagi needed. He let go of the ceiling and fluttered towards the door.

"I suppose your car is parked outside?"

When the rabbit confirmed his assumption, he used his gift, to open the door and flew outside. Once in the open space he deeply exhaled the breath he had held in unknowingly. It was...difficult to fly _and_ use his gift. His brain had to process all the information from the swift movement and the things around him, the ultra sound adding to the sensation. When people dreamt about flying, they really had _no idea_ , how difficult it really was. And moving something while he himself was moving, too, was an even bigger challenge. At least, the door only needed a little push. Driving a car would be harder. But he was quite certain, he could handle that. Perhaps he would not even need Schuldig's help.

He landed on the pole of a street light and watched the others leave the shop. It was quite a sight to have all of them gathered, moving out like a pack of wolves on the hunt. He even could not help to notice the resembling colors he had missed before. Two black and white animals, two reddish ones, two brown and...okay. Farfarello stood out as usual. He always did, whereas Nagi seemed to blend in everywhere. It sometimes felt like he sort of disappeared from people's perception. Nagi sighed and looked down on the rabbit.

"So where is your car?"

"I...I don't have one. But the shop has. I thought we could use the delivery truck."

The rabbit pointed at something at the side of the street. Nagi was about to get down on top of the car, when Schuldig's voice stopped him.

"Now way we are going into this crappy van. It's old, it's loud and above all it's pink!"

"How do you know it's loud?" Farfarello wanted to know while contemplating the pink obscenity.

Schuldig looked around and spotted something else. He went on to another car and nodded approvingly. "I think, this will suffice. Plus, I like the color."

"What? No way!" the greyhound barked and rushed to position himself between Schuldig and the car. "Get your greedy paws off my baby. The Seven is not for you to use."

Schuldig snarled. "And I say, we take this one. So get the keys, if you don't want to spend the rest of your life drinking from a toilet bowl."

"Get off", the greyhound barked and bared his teeth.

"Easy now," a low voice intervened and the cat strolled in between the opponents. Its tail went straight into the air and nearly brushed the nose of the growling greyhound. The cat did not seem to be intimidated in the slightest by any of the bared teeth on either side of it. It did not even look at Schuldig or the greyhound.

"The Seven is much to small to carry us all. We'll take my car", the cat continued and went on to another vehicle several parking lots down the street.

The greyhound an Schuldig tried to stare each other down for another couple of moments, then the dog growled "I'll get the keys. And don't you dare touch my Lady!"

It went back to the shop and Schuldig's gaze followed him until it disappeared inside. Then he gave Farfarello a sign and the ferret crawled under the car they had been fighting about. Schuldig grinned and turned to follow the other animals that were already heading towards the second car.

 _'What is Farfarello doing?'_ Nagi wanted to know.

Schuldig grinned. _'It's a common problem to have your car rummaged by martens, when you leave it parked outside. Blondie will have to visit a garage by the time he turns human again. His fault for not letting me borrow his precious car.'_

Nagi was not sure, if he wanted to roll his eyes at Schuldig for being immature or if he appreciated the telepath's creativity at knowing how to push other people's buttons. Either way, he had a complicated task at hand and had to concentrate on being successful. He let got of the lamp post and fluttered down the street, where everyone else had gathered around a white car. Nagi landed on top of it.

"Porsche?" Schuldig asked and tried to whistle, but did not manage with his muzzle. Annoyed he looked round for the greyhound to show up.

When it did, Nagi took the keys with his gift and tried to get them into the lock of the door. It was more difficult than he thought. The cat shot him a look that made his skin creep. Finally the car doors opened and the animals started to board. There was a small fight over the seating order, as the cat insisted on sitting in the passenger seat in the front – it was _his car_ after all. But when Crawford just entered the seat and sat down with _that_ look on his face, the cat hopped onto the back seat as if it wanted to sit there all along. The rabbit and both dogs accompanied it, while Farfarello made himself comfortable on the small rear parcel shelf. He smelled of motor oil and something acrid Nagi assumed to be brake fluid.

 _'You coming?'_ Schuldig asked and nearly made Nagi jump up. He really had to keep focused despite the unfamiliar company he was in. He had to get this car moving.

 _'Just relax and feel it, Nagi. Driving a car is mostly like handling a woman. Oops, I forgot. No experience with that from your side.'  
'Schuldig! Do you really think it is a good idea to annoy me right now?'_, Nagi thought and wrinkled his nose. A car full of animals was not such a pleasant place to be in. Maybe he had to get the windows down first.

"A little advise concerning the car. You have to be careful with the gear shift. It tends to..."

Nagi did not listen to the rest of the cat's lecture. He was too busy panicking.

 _'A gear shift? Schuldig! I only know how to use automatic transmission cars!'_

 _'Calm down, Nagi. It's not that difficult. You just have to get the biting point right before you release the clutch at its fullest. With your enhanced sense you should even be able to hear the engine make a slightly different sound due to the revs dropping. With a sports car like this you can even feel the car lift a little before you kill it by being too slow.'_

 _'Sounds wonderful'_ Nagi hissed and fluttered inside. He wanted to sit on the head rest again, but Schuldig thought otherwise.

 _'Get on my head. It will be easier to advise you when our points of view match each other's.'_

Nagi hesitated a bit, but then gave in when he sensed the other getting impatient. He knew he would have to follow Schuldig's instruction, if he did not want to mess this up. Hence, he evened his breath and tried to get as comfortable as he could between Schuldig's ears. At least he had something to hold on to.

 _'Hey, get you claws of my sensitive spots. I cannot concentrate like that'_ , Schuldig instantly complained.

"Look's like someone's got a bat hat", the greyhound giggled from the back seat and the shepherd dog snorted with laughter. The cat just rolled its eyes. His personality seemed to match Crawford's, only he was a little more homicidal. On the second thought...maybe not.

 _'Could you concentrate on driving, please? I would like to get going_ today _.'_

Nagi took a deep breath again and turned the key. The car came to live with a deep, roaring sound that went straight to Nagi's stomach. He felt the vibrations all over his body. It was like being inside a living, breathing creature thrumming with expectation.

 _'Good. Now get the gear shift, the clutch and slowly thrust the accelerator while releasing the clutch. Then you..."_

Nagi clenched his teeth and nearly bit his lip. He tried to follow all the instructions and...stalled the car. The engine died with a determined jolt towards the car in front of them. Nagi heard the cat draw in its breath.

 _'Don't panic. You'll manage'_ Schuldig said in his head and really sounded like he meant it for once.

Nagi started the engine again, set the turn signal and slowly let go of the clutch while gently pressing the gas pedal down. There was a brief moment, when he thought, the car would choke again, but then it slowly crawled forward and even passed by the other car without touching it. The relieved sigh from the back seat was more than audible.

 _'Ok, now let's get a little more speed and then you will have to change gears. Press the clutch to the floor, set to second gear and repeat the procedure you started with. You'll see, it easy.'_

Nagi knew he would have sweated, if that had been possible. He felt warm and his head was swimming from the telepathy and all the things he had to do at once. Control his telekinesis, shift the gears, steer the wheel, not scratch Schuldig's ears and above all that: ignore the stares. Because, once they were moving faster, the eyes of the animals out on the street were following them. At least most of them were careful enough to leave the street, when they saw them coming. But there were enough of them staring at the approaching car like a deer in the head light. And he did not even have the lights on, yet!

He nearly hit a family of ducks crossing the street and and only managed to leave them unharmed by hitting the brakes hard. The ducks quaked at him unimpressed and went on with their promenade, whereas everyone in the car was yelling at him.

"Just run them over next time," Schuldig snarled. His nose had bumped into the stirring wheel, while Nagi had nearly slipped down from his head and only managed to stay up by using his claws on the ears again. Hence, the telepath was thoroughly pissed off.

"No, you can't kill them", the rabbit objected while picking itself up from the floor it had dropped on. The cat had managed to stay put, but its claws were stuck in the upholstery and it hissed trying to get them out again. The two dogs were barking insults and Crawford growled in annoyance. Only Farfarello was enjoying his back view, obviously oblivious to his surroundings.

Nagi felt anger rise deep inside of him. Here he was, trying his best to get them to this stupid lab, which would not even have been necessary, if Crawford had been more polite when turning the stupid scientist down, and he saved everyone from running their paws bloody and all they did was complain. He really had enough of it.

"Shut up!" he screamed and used a good portion of the ultra sound to it. All animals winced at the piercing sound and he was greeted with more than one disgruntled look. "Everyone who does not want to stay in the car, can get out now!"

He telekinetically fumbled with the door opener, until he hit one of the buttons by accident and the windows started to roll down slowly. Schuldig snickered under him.

"That was the window, Liebelein. Now play nice and get us going again. And all back seat drivers will shut up from now on."

"Don't tell me what to do", the greyhound growled, but he sat down again and looked out of the window.

Nagi sighed and started the engine again. When the car began to move faster, the wind blew in and ruffled the thin fur on his back. It was an odd sensation which he apparently shared with the shepherd dog.

"Hey, that's kinda nice. Let me see," it said and squeezed in between the passenger seat and the side of the car.

"Oi, Ken, watch the tail," the greyhound bitched. "You keep whacking my face with it."

 _'Nothing you don't deserve'_ Schuldig shared his thoughts with Nagi.

"Then sit on the other side with Omi," the shepherd dog replied and squeezed some more, to get closer to the window. When he finally managed to get his head out, his feet lost the balance and he nearly strangled himself. Nagi had to stop the car again and Crawford, who apparently was fed up with the dog butting into his seat from behind, got in the backseat, so that the shepherd dog could take his place. Here it sat and yapped and barked out of the window. Its fur was ruffled by the wind, his tail wagged from side to side with enthusiasm.

"This is so great. Aya, Yoji, Omi, you should try it. It's like flying and you see and smell everything. It's really overwhelming. Come on, Nagi, speed up a little. Here we go!"

Nagi inwardly rolled his eyes, but he had to admit, that the cheerful sounds were more convenient the the constant nagging from before. It helped to ease the tension, too. When Nagi looked in the back view mirror, he even saw Farfarello look interested again. Crawford had made himself comfortable between the cat and the rabbit and the greyhound had given up whining. It was almost resembling a peaceful family trip, until Schuldig spoke up again.

"We're almost there. Take the next turn to the right and park the car. It's time to face Lady Frankenstein."


	9. Chapter 9

Omi recognized the gray building in an instant. Nagi had shown him pictures and floor plans of the entire laboratory. It was a three level estate with a full build basement and a flat roof. All entrances were guarded by cameras, the ventilation held an electric security system. In addition to that, the whole site was surrounded by a lush garden and a high wall complete with iron spikes to repel intruders. The gate was, of course, also equipped with cameras and something else. Something that was unexpected even for the leader of Schwarz and his visionary powers.

"Why are the dogs outside?" Crawford's voice only showed little of his incertitude, but the fact that he had spoken aloud already told Omi that this was out of the ordinary.

"Which dogs?" Yoji wanted to know and drew his eyebrows up at the sight. "Oh, _those_ dogs. Four teeth-baring, slavering, murderous expression, I'm-a-badass-watchdog Doberman Pincher kind of dogs." He nudged Crawford with his front paw. "Didn't see that coming, eh?"

Crawford frowned and did not answer, but Omi knew, that Yoji had hit the nail on the head. The dogs were an obstacle, Crawford had not foreseen. Or perhaps he hadn't bothered to look, because Schuldig now threw in:

"But I thought, she only lets them out at night. You told me so."

"It was like that when we last met. I wonder what made her change her patterns," Crawford muttered.

"Maybe she has changed into an animal, too," Omi suggested. He got an irritated look from Crawford. "No, she hasn't. I clearly saw that in my vision."

"Don't badger have poor eyesight?" Ken asked and was granted a glare. He almost managed to shrug. "Just saying. But how do we get in there now? Do you think we can talk them into letting us through?"

Schuldig snorted. "These are normal animals. They will wipe the floor with you if you try to persuade them into letting you in."

"So why don't _you_ talk to them then?" Ken growled. "And take that Farfarello with you. Maybe he and those beasts will make good friends."

The ferret grinned. "Why not? It may be worth the try."

"No." Crawford made a very serious face. "None of you will try to fight those dogs. It's not safe. We will have to find another way."

"Perhaps Bat-Boy can just fly in?" Yoji suggested, but Omi had already noticed that their youngest accompanist had fallen asleep the moment he had stopped the car. The trip must have been more exhausting than they thought. He looked at the small silhouette clinging to the red fur of Schuldig's back. Nagi would not be of much help like that.

His gaze wandered back to the dogs. They had stopped barking, but paced back and forth behind the metal bars of the gate and did not take their eyes of them. The only thing that would let them get past them was...

"We need a decoy." Aya's face showed no emotion, when he rose and made a move towards the gate. "I will lure them away, while you get in and try to find the doctor."

Omi jumped up. "What? No, Aya! You can't take on four dogs all by yourself. I will go with you."

Aya turned round and eyed him coolly. "You can't come with me. They will tear you apart."

Omi sniffed in annoyance. "Only if the catch me. Come on, Aya. I can do it. I'm the fastest of us and the second-smallest. I will be able to hide somewhere in the bushes once they are far enough from the gate."

The tip of Aya's tail started to twitch. "I will do this alone."

Omi stood up on his hind legs and poked his head in Aya's direction. "No, you will not. I say, you need help there. I'm the strategist after all. And one cat fooling four dogs won't work. Simple math. They will corner you in no time. So either we go together or no-one will." He would have crossed his front paws, but as this was not possible, he just put a determined expression in his too-cute face.

Aya tried to stare him down. He really did and Omi had to admit, that he was good at it even as a cat. Or maybe especially as a cat. He did not blink but kept those feral yellow-green eyes piercing right through Omi with his large cat ears slightly turned to the side and his tail lashing behind him like a live whipping cord. When Omi did not back down, he finally turned as if nothing had happened.

"Fine," he spat. "We'll go together. You others try to get into the building as quick as possible."

Omi noticed Schuldig open his mouth, but when Crawford slightly shook his head, he closed it again. The structure of Schwarz was something, that Omi still had to figure out. They were not unlike Weiß, but with different roles, their gifts adding to the complexity. They were more independent when acting, but on the other hand adding to each other as a team. Crawford sometimes showed the demeanor of a patriarch, but did not quite fit the picture on other occasions. It was a fascinating riddle, he would have to investigate later on. Now there were other tasks lying ahead.

"I'll get them away from the gate, so you can come in," Aya said, already scanning the site for possible escape routes. "You join me in the garden, the others take the main path."

"What about the cameras? We will have to deactivate them," Omi pointed out. He had to admit, that this would be a little more difficult than he and Nagi had thought. Nagi's gift had been an essential part of their plan.

"I will take care of that," Farfarello offered and clicked his teeth. "I can't let you two have all the fun."

Omi frowned. "You will have to bite through the electric wiring. That's dangerous."

The ferret snickered. "I have done worse, kid, and I'm still alive. God is afraid to let me into his haven. He knows I'm after him."

With that the white animal took of to mount the wall for the first device. Aya had already reached a tree near the wall and climbed onto it. He gracefully hopped between the metal spikes, nodded back in Omi's direction and disappeared behind the gray stones.

The next thing Omi heard, was a loud mewing that immediately caught the watchdogs' attention. They perked their ears and turned their heads to spot a reddish cat hissing and caterwauling at them. Their bafflement only lasted seconds, before they spun around and chased after the offensive feline. Aya turned tail and ran.

"Quick now," Yoji barked and already was at the gate before someone could react. He jumped up and hit the door handle with his front paws. To Omi's surprise it really opened and swung inside to let them in. He did not hesitate and followed the wild chase into the garden, while the others hurried to the front door.

The grass was long and had not been cut for a while. It slowed Omi down and made him worry, if his plan was really that flawless. But there was no turning back now. He had to help Aya. The barking dogs were getting louder, as he approached the corner of the building. The next thing he noticed was a streak of red passing him by.

"Go left!" Aya shouted and was gone. Omi did not question the command, but bolted. He heard the dogs yelp in confusion. The next moment, eight heavy paws slammed the floor behind him. Omi could feel the vibration on the floor and sped up. He did not think anymore, but let his instincts take over. He dodged sharp teeth aiming for his back and felt hot breath wash over him. He made a quick change and ran right under one of the dogs, its jaws closing behind him. Then he had an empty field before him. He picked up speed and suddenly turned right, when he felt one of the dogs getting closer. He never would have guessed, that they were that fast. He turned and jumped, tried to dazzle them by feinting moves and running of in the other direction. His paws did not seem to touch the ground, his heart was pounding, his muscles flexing and contracting in lightning speed. He felt adrenaline pumping through his veins and started to feel light-headed by the breathtaking pace of the action. The dogs were right at his heels and growling and barking behind him. The sound kicking his flight reflex to exorbitant heights.

He went into a bush to hide there, but the dogs just broke trough all the leaves and branches like miniature bulldozers. His heart jumped, as a yowling muzzle appeared next to him, almost biting him in two. Claws dug into the ground sending pieces of dirt and roots flying. He heard the dogs whine, furiously trying to get inside. It was only moments until they would break through. Omi did not think, but went right through the dog's legs and darted for the next cover. Like that he would at least keep them from noticing the others. He had to keep them interested or they would...

Suddenly something hit him. He lost his balance and crashed to the ground out of full run. Up and down became a whirl of colors, he scraped his face on the floor and then something hit his back hard. Foggy-brained he blinked and saw two large shadows move in his direction. He wanted to get up, get moving again, run for his life, but his head hurt and his vision blurred. The shadows came closer, filling his field of view.

All of a sudden pointy teeth closed around his neck and he was moving up and up. The bark of the tree he had smashed into scratching his nose, his feet dangling high above the ground. He was pressed against the trunk by a warm, sinuous body. The teeth pierced his fur, his skin, making him whimper in pain, but he suddenly knew, this was good. Shard claws digging into the wood around him, moving both of them up inch by inch. He saw them stretch and strain, almost loosing their footing, while the dogs went berserk under them. There was a small moment, when Omi thought, that they would not make it, but then Aya drew both of them up on a branch. He made sure, Omi had was surely seated on the broad piece of wood, before he let got of his neck.

Omi ducked down, not comfortable with the height and no means to hold onto the branch properly. He felt the dogs jump at the tree, leaves rustling around them, the branch trembling slightly. His breath came out in small, shallow puffs.

"That...was...amazing..." he finally managed to get out.

Aya, who looked no better that he did, only nodded at him. All of a sudden, he chewed and coughed and finally spat out some light brown fur.

"You're hairy," he said with a look of disgust an his face. "And you're heavy. I almost dropped down. At least you kept still."

"I remembered how cats carry their kittens and decided it would be the best to act like one." Omi grinned. "I'm glad you did not drag me up here by my ears."

Aya looked at him and Omi thought, he saw the hint of a smile on the cat's face. He would not have vouched for it, though, but it felt good. It felt even better to be alive.

"Do you think, they managed to get in?" he asked while looking down at the fuming dogs. It would not be long until they remembered their duty and would leave the cat and the rabbit to rot on their tree in search for other potential trespassers.

Aya looked at the building, his tail twitching behind him. "I hope so. I really hope so."

Yoji wrinkled his nose at the ferrets stench beside him. The slender, white animal smelled of burnt hair and ozone. It had been a weird sight to see it get electrocuted and fall down from the camera's power cord, only to get up a moment later, shake his head and hop on like nothing had happened. Neither Crawford nor Schuldig seemed to be astonished by that in the slightest. Maybe this was Farfarellos's power. Being indestructible, feeling no pain, no fear. The thought made his skin crawl.

"Where do we go now?" Ken asked.

They had entered the mansion and were now standing in a dimly lit hallway. There were doors leading to different rooms, all of them closed. Yoji perked his ears and tried to pick up some clue, where to start with their search for the scientist, but he heard nothing but a distant humming. This would take ages.

"She's in the basement," Schuldig suddenly said. The fox had closed his eyes, as if he was listening to something. It made Yoji wonder about his gift again. He already had a strong assumption of what Schuldig was capable, but he still needed some proofs.

"To the basement then," Crawford directed and started to move towards a door that probably held the stairs. In front of the door he stopped and looked at Yoji.

The greyhound let out a small growl. "Since when am I your door opener?"

"Since you have the longest legs," Crawford simply stated and made an inviting gesture towards the door handle. "If you wouldn't mind?"

Yoji snorted, but opened the door anyway. Crawford nodded at him and began the descent. Ken pushed past the badger, almost head-to-head with Farfarello, both of them swarming out to secure the bottom of the stairs. Schuldig was the last to get to the stair-head. He turned and smiled at Yoji.

"Nevermind. Not all of us can be as useful as others. It's best you learn your place quickly."

 _'Don't tempt me'_ Yoji thought and was greeted with a widening smirk and a wink. He blinked while the fox went down the stairs. The thought forming in his head was not pleasant at all. But before he could really get hold of his suspicion, he heard voices rise from the basement. One of them female. Yoji pushed all of his resentments aside and hurried down the stairs. Dr. Nishimura might not be a damsel in distress, but Yoji would make sure she was treated right anyway.

* * *

Music: "How much is the fish?" - Scooter


	10. Chapter 10

Yoji rushed towards the voices with his feet almost slipping on the polished floor tiles. He sped up, when he heard a shriek and the clatter of metal against metal, slithered around a corner and froze. A growl emerged from his throat, when he finally faced the scene he had only imagined before. There was no woman to protect, but a horrible monster with an overgrown head, a gross trunk and bulging eyes staring at him. It looked like a giant fly with a human body. He woofed at it in confusion. It reacted by pointing a pair of scissors at him and a muffled female voice asking:

"What? Another dog?"

Yoji blinked and suddenly realized that what he had taken for the misshaped head of Dr. Nishimura was really a kind of respirator mask. It was attached to a small flask she wore on her back. Of course, she protected herself from the gas. Like that she had been able to stay human.

"Who are you?" the doctor asked and stepped back until her back hit the edge of the desk behind her.

She still held the scissors out, pointing them from animal to animal that had literally cornered her. Her moves were quick but uncontrolled. Yoji even saw her hand shaking a bit and suddenly he knew, she was on the verge of panicking. He had to prevent this situation from going out of hand. This woman had to be calmed down before they could make any move. With determination he stepped forward and did something he never would have guessed he would do to charm a woman. But exceptional situations called for exceptional matters. And this woman was not only armed and intelligent, she also had a thing for dogs. He could smell them on her clothes and suspected it to be a remnant of the watch dogs they had fooled earlier. So Yoji swallowed his pride, took another step and...started waving his tail.

"We are not here to harm you," he said, keeping his voice soft and gentle. He tried to smile and saw her eyes widening behind the thick looking glasses of the mask. "We just came here to seek for your aid. Crawford," he pointed at the badger before turning his attention back to her, "informed us, that you might have a clue why we all woke up as animals this morning. We came here to ask you, if he is right."

"Of course he is," Schuldig snarled. "I..."

"Shut up," Yoji snapped. "I'm talking to the lady. You will have to wait until you get your turn to speak."

Schuldig stared at him in disbelieve.

 _'Let me handle this my way'_ Yoji thought and looked at the fox. If he was right, Schuldig would, perhaps, retreat and let him do the talking. He only hoped, Crawford would do the same, but the badger did not seem to think about intervening right now. Farfarello had set on his hind legs and studied the situation, not threatening to break into violent action either. Or maybe he was distracted by the big generator humming in the background, producing not only sound but a fuzzy blue light as well. Yoji suspected this to be the source of the field that surrounded the city. This was, he thought, a good sign. If she did not want the gas to spread any further, perhaps this meant she really would help them. He held on to that thought and concentrated on his body language. He had to seem trustable and friendly.

"I am sorry. We did not want to scare you. We really just came here to get some answer. Could you explain what happened to us?"

Dr. Nishimura looked at him and he could sense some more details from they way she smelled. There was a stench of sweat, the strong, dark aroma of coffee and something he could not quite place, that made his nose tingle. Maybe some substances from her laboratory. It seemed that she had been working a long time and surely suffered from sleep deprivation. It made the ground under his linguistic feet even more slippery, as with woman it often was not only about what you said, but also about how you said it. And this muzzle surely bereaved him of some of his most powerful weapons. He would have to be very careful not to say or do something wrong.

"I...," she began and stopped to frown at the badger. "You are Crawford? Like from _Schwarz_?"

This was not good. Yoji had to act, before the whole conversation went down the drain.

"Yes, he is, but he just came here to say, that he is sorry. And that he needs your help. He even brought us along, because he knew, that he was wrong and that you had every right in the world not to listen to him."

The badger shot him a look, but remained silent. So did the fox. Maybe Yoji would get a chance to do this right.

"I see," Dr. Nishimura said and let the scissors down just a little bit. "And you are?"

Yoji bowed his head. "My name is Yoji. Me and Ken, the shepherd dog, are members of a group called Weiß. We...protect people."

He heard Schuldig snort, but did not bother to look at the arrogant fox. This was difficult even without him interrupting Yoji's concentration every second sentence.

Dr. Nishimura looked at Ken and back to Yoji again. "You can hardly call two men...or dogs as it is, a group."

She really _was_ smart. "Well, we have two other members. They stayed outside to distract your watch dogs. We did not want to hurt them, but we had to get here to see you. Please, don't be mad."

He waved his tail some more and put on a pleading look. Playing innocent, adorable puppy was more work that he thought it would be.

She looked at him once more, then turned around and pushed some buttons on her desk. A screen came to life and showed pictures of the garden. She switched cameras and the four watchdogs appeared on the screen. They had gathered around a tree and stared up at something hidden between the leaves.

"It seems, that your friends have found shelter on my maple tree."

"On a _tree_?" Ken burst out. "But that's impossible! Omi is a rabbit! How would he have climbed a tree?"

Dr. Nishimura shrugged. "I would investigate further, but you have disabled some of my cameras. I cannot show you more."

Ken jumped up and headed for the door. "I'm going out there. I have to help them. I will not let your stupid dogs harm my friend."

"Stupid dogs?" Nishimura's voice suddenly went cold. "Stupid dogs? Now look at you. You are a dog yourself and you still have your nose high in the air looking down on the creatures assumed to be man's best friend. And I assure you that those dogs are much more loyal than any human I have come across in my whole life." She shot Crawford a look. "You are so supercilious. It really serves your right to get an impression of the life that animals are forced to lead by us humans. We treat them with no respect, like inanimate objects that only exist to keep us warm or fed or entertained. Here, I'll show you how we so-called top of the evolution treat other species."

She hit another button and a wide screen on the wall went to life. It showed horrible picture of injured or dead animals. Pent-up hens and ducks, cows and pigs beaten to death, one cow even while giving birth. Animals caught in traps, cages and fences, bleeding, suffering, helpless. Yoji lowered his head.

"I see what you mean. I have seen horrible things done to men, woman and even children by some of their own kind. But this is nothing compared to the wide-spread horror we inflict on our animal friends."

He stepped a little closer and tried to look her in the eyes. "However, as much as I share your anger and the desire to bring those dark beasts to justice, it cannot be right to turn every human in Tokyo into an animal. People suffer because of what you have done. You must end this."

Dr. Nishimura was still staring at the picture on the screen. "I can't. They have to comprehend their wrongdoing to the full extent. They have to feel what those poor creatures feel. Because animals feel pain, too. They love and grieve and care about each other."

"And they eat each other."

Everyone turned around to look at Ken. Determination stood on the shepherd dog's face. He bared his teeth and growled at the doctor.

"People loose their human consciousnesses if they stay animal too long. I have seen them on the streets an no-one cared about your haughty lecture. All their cared about was food and sleep and other basic needs. There is not enough food out there for everyone of them. So, if you don't turn everyone back soon, they will start hunting and killing each other. Just like normal animals would do. You will be responsible for thousands of dead animals torn apart by other victims of your diabolic experiment. Their blood will be on your hands and your hands only."

Dr. Nishimura had set down while Ken was speaking. She had shrank back into her seat and was now looking at the floor, unaware of what was going on around her.

"So that's what happened," she muttered. "When I went out earlier, I was besieged by a group of animals. I thought they wanted to take revenge on me, but they just came for my help. Because I am the last human being they can turn to."

"Yes! Yes, you are!" Yoji nodded. "And all those animals out there need your help. You have to turn them back into humans or they will get hurt. And what if the forces outside the city find a way to break your shield? Maybe the whole planet will turn into animals and their will be countless deaths. You have to reverse the effect of the gas or all those animals will die."

The doctor rose her head and he thought he saw her eyes swimming behind the mask. "I tried, but...the smog surrounding the city reacted with my formula. It was meant to be only temporary and everyone should have been turned back to normal after 12 hours. I don't know what happened. I tried to get a sample of the evolved formula from the surrounding air, but the concentration is much to low. And now you come and tell me, that the transformation is even stronger than I wanted it to be. I did not want everyone to loose their personality, just their shape. Something must have gone very wrong. But what? And how?"

Crawford cleared his throat. "Maybe it would help if you study us? Take samples and investigate the effect in a live being?"

Schuldig seemed to want to speak up, but remained silent, when Crawford shook his head slightly.

Dr. Nishimura stood up and paced the lab talking more or less to herself. "Maybe it would be possible to isolate the strengthening factor in vivo." She stopped mid-path kneading her left thumb with her other hand. "I will need blood, hair, urine, everything you can give me. Maybe an X-ray or a CT will be required. I have to find the cause of this development and reverse the effect to create an antidote. And we will have to do it quick, before those poor creatures turn against each other."

"Speaking of which, what about our friends?" Ken asked. "Your dogs are still threatening their lives."

Dr. Nishimura frowned. "I will get them. I need their blood as well. Maybe one of them holds the clue to this whole situation."

She went to the exit of the lab, her white coat flapping behind her. "Don't touch anything, I will just call Cassandra and the others back in. I don't think guarding the estate is still necessary. When I get back, we will start the analysis."

When her steps climbed the stairs, Schuldig turned to Crawford.

"Blood samples?" he said in a low voice. "You think this is wise? What if she discovers something about our talents? I don't want to end up as her guinea pig."

Crawford did not look worried in the slightest. "She will not need our blood. One of the Weiß will give her all the information she needs."

The fox cocked his ears and rolled his eyes at the feeling. "So you knew this before? What about telling me?"

The badger smirked at him. "You tend to mess up things when I tell you too much about the future. But don't get miffed. You will get your chance to have some fun. I have seen something else, that has not revealed itself up to now. We will have to wait."

Schuldig bared his teeth and sneezed. "You're such a cocky bastard sometimes."

Crawford's smirk widened. "That's why we both match each other so well."

* * *

Music: "Hung up" - Madonna

Sorry for the delay. Life keeps throwing sicknesses and interesting writing competitions at me, but I promise to concentrate on finishing this story as soon as possible.


	11. Chapter 11

"Someone's coming!"

Aya's stance changed from carefully-relaxed to threat-wary within seconds. He dug his claws into the bark of the branch and ducked down. Omi perked up his ears to locate the source of Aya's agitation. With the dogs yowling and growling under them it was nearly impossible to hear anything. Suddenly the dogs stopped and turned their attention to someone Omi could not see, yet, because of the leaves. Had one of the other come here to get them? But then the dogs would not have started waving their tails. It had to be...

"Dr. Nishimura," Omi said to the figure that appeared under the tree. The women in a white coat wore a bulgy mask and looked up at them through thick glass goggles.

"You must be the other two members of Weiß," she said and Omi wondered how much they had missed while sitting on this tree. Why did she know about Weiß? And where were the others?

"I suggest you come down from there to join your friends. We have agreed on keeping a... _truce_ until the situation has settled down. I will need some samples from you to create an antidote for the animal transformation. So, if you wouldn't mind..."

Aya 's tail was still twitching, but he nodded at the woman and looked down at the floor beside her.

"It's quite high. Do you think, you can jump the distance, Omi?"

Omi looked down as well. "I don't know. I don't think rabbits are made to jump from trees."

Dr. Nishimura was patting the head of one of the dogs that now seemed to be just as harmless as Yoji or Ken. "I could catch you, if you want," she offered. "I don't see why you should risk a sprain ankle, just because you don't know if you can trust me. I mean, I could have killed all of your friends without you knowing."

"You wouldn't," Aya simply stated, took aim and jumped before Dr. Nishimura could react to him. He landed next to one of the dogs and hissed, when it stuck his nose in his direction. Then he started stalking towards the house.

The doctor shook her head and shouted after him. "How do you know I would not do that?"

Aya turned and looked at here with those strange feral eyes. "Because you care," he said, turned and took up his path again.

The woman sighed, looked up at Omi and spread her arms. "Come on down, I have work to do. We should turn you back as soon as possible I guess. Your friend seems rather irritated about his state."

Omi gave in to a little smile. "That's just his normal personality."

He got up, took a deep breath, ignored his rising fear and screaming senses and jumped. He felt panic taking over for a moment, his feet struggling to find some ground, than Dr. Nishimura's arm closed around him. She took him against her chest and supported his rear with her other arm. Then she started walking towards the house. Omi instinctively leaned into her and felt his heart beat rise even more. He really appreciated the fact that rabbits did not blush.

"I..you...you really don't have to carry me. I can walk on my own."

"I know," she answered. "But Cassandra and the others are quite agitated at this point of time. They would be all over you, snuffling and perhaps licking your fur. I supposed you don't want dog's saliva all over you, do you?"

"No, I don't," Omi replied. He was not sure, though, if touching a woman's breast with his paws was something he wanted either. At least her white coat was quite thick and covered most of her form and the respirator mask helped to see her as a scientist and not as a...woman, too. He tried to concentrate on that while she started to caress the fur between his ears. The gentle touch help to soothe his racing heart beat a bit. It also reminded Omi of how tired he was. And how hungry. Maybe he could close his eyes just until they arrived at the lab. It would help him to calm down.

"Seems like Omi has made himself quite comfortable." Omi's eyes shot open to face a grinning greyhound. "Nice place for a nap, pal." Yoji winked at him and grinned some more.

"I...I didn't," he started and wanted to get away from the doctor's offending chest, but she held him in place.

"Don't wriggle. I will start with you to take the blood samples. So keep still or I will hurt you more than I have to."

Omi was placed on the cool, smooth surface of a desk. With wide eyes he saw Dr. Nishimura take a syringe from a drawer. Its needle glistened in the blueish light that filled the room.

"I think we can refrain from shaving you, but I will have to disinfect the puncture, so it might be a little cool from the alcohol."

Omi smelled the sharp stench of the liquid, as she moistened his fur with it. He really did not like needles, but he knew this had to be done. So he tried to concentrate on something else. Something nice. Salad maybe. Salad was good. And carrots. Yes, he really had to get another carrot. Was chocolate suitable for rabbits? And..

"Done."

Dr. Nishimura carefully picked Omi up and set him down on the floor. He blinked and felt the urge to groom himself rise. Maybe he would have to eat something soon, but now was not the time for it. Dr. Nishimura had already prepared the next syringe.

"Who wants to be next?"

Yoji rose to get to her, but Aya was faster. He jumped on the desk and set down as if he rightfully belonged there. His eyes scanned the doctor's face.

"I hope you know, what you are doing here."

Omi saw her smile behind the mask. "I have studied veterinary medicine for a few semesters. You are save with me."

"I doubt that," Aya answered, but let her take the blood from his leg anyway.

Ken and Yoji were next, their samples stored together with the first two in a small box.

She wanted to get another syringe ready, but Crawford held her back.

"I recommend you analyze the samples you have already taken first. I am quite positive that you will get the required information from them."

Dr. Nishimura furrowed her brows. "You're right. Every second might count to save all those poor creature. I will take these samples to another laboratory. It might take a while, so make yourself comfortable. Do you need anything?"

Omi thought about motioning the possibility of food and drink, but Aya had already said no, before he could make any move. So the doctor left without a word. Omi sighed and started grooming his ears. It was better than nothing.

Aya tried to get himself into the meditative half-sleep he had seen cats do so often. He draw his paws under his body, placed his head on his front paws and almost closed his eyes. He resisted the desire to lick his paws, though. He was not a cat. Not a real one. He would not give in to all his animal whimsies. But the need for sleep was overwhelming at this point of time. And he would be saved from the stupid banter, Yoji and Ken had started with one of the Schwarz again. This Schuldig guy seemed to have trouble keeping his mouth shut. Aya was quiet glad he did not have to spend more time with him than absolutely necessary.

Moments stretched to almost two hours until Dr. Nishimura came back to their room. She held a piece of paper in her hand. Aya got up immediately and perked his ears. He really hoped she had found something.

"I have good and bad news," she said without hesitation. "The good one is: I have found some clues that might lead to the creation of the antidote. The catch to the matter is that there is still something missing. Something I will not be able to get from any of you."

Aya saw the badger move and gave his expression a short assessment. The gray animal did not seem to be surprised, but looked more like he was waiting for something. Something he had already foreseen?

"What is it that you cannot get from us?" Omi asked. The rabbit looked tired, his ears dropping on each side of his head.

"I have the strong assumption that I will need the blood of a female to create the missing ingredient." Dr. Nishimura turned to Aya. "Your blood was the most promising. Do you happen to have a female relative living here in Tokyo?"

Aya felt like he had been punched in the gut. A chill ran down his spine and made his fur rise. No way he would tell Dr. Nishimura about his sister. He had already wondered about what had happened to her. If she was save with all the doctors turned into animals, but there had not been any time to think of a way to make sure about that. Her hospital was quiet close and he had thought about checking on her later, but of course he could not just leave this place. And now there was this strange woman asking about a female relative. He...he just couldn't tell her about Aya. Not in a million years.

"He has a sister", a nasal voice stated. "She lying in a hospital nearby."

Aya's eyes bore into the one of the fox who was wearing a smug grin. How could he know? Was this a trick? It had to be. He couldn't know. He just couldn't.

"He's a mind reader."

"What?" Aya blinked and looked at Yoji. The greyhound did not look as if he was joking. But it had to be a joke. A mind reader? This was...

"...impossible." Schuldig looked at him. "What is this? Is he really hearing what I am thinking? Ninetynine. Red. Roses. Spathiphyllum. Oh come on, now you're just making words up to test me." Schuldig drew a face and rolled his eyes.

Dr. Nishimura turned to Aya. "So you really do have a sister?"

Aya nodded slowly. He still was not comfortable with the thought of someone being able to read his mind. How much had he seen? Did he know more about Aya? Would he be able to find her, if he refused to lead the doctor to her hospital?

"Fine, we need her blood. Where is she?"

"You..no. You can't have her." Aya hissed at the doctor and flattened his ears. His tail puffed out as it lashed behind him. He would not let her go without a fight. If she went for the door, he would catch her and drag her back here. Even if this was impossible.

Dr. Nishimura looked at him with scientific interest. "It seems that cats can get quite protective, too. Normally I prefer dogs, but maybe I should consider getting one or two cats as well."

"This is not funny," Aya spat. "You will not lay a finger on my sister."

"Well, than you will be responsible for the death of thousands of innocent people. Is your sister really worth that? Besides I only need a little blood sample from her. I will be able to synthesize the antidote based on her data."

Aya grit his teeth. He did not want to get Aya involved in any of his Weiß affairs. But he did not really have a choice, did he? He had to do it or anyone in Tokyo would stay an animal for the rest of their lives. He could not let that happen. Perhaps there was a way.

"I will go to get the sample myself." Like that Aya would stay save.

"That's a brilliant idea. I will come with you." The fox smiled at him innocently.

Aya felt a growl emerge from his throat. "Now you won't. I won't let someone like you near my sister."

"Someone like me?" Schuldig drawled. "I should be offended. But I am not. You are right to be careful and so am I. Therefore, I will make sure you really bring us your sister's blood and not anyone else's."

"I..." Aya started and closed his mouth again. He really had been thinking about that. But this would, of course, be stupid. He did not know, _how_ he would get his sisters blood, but it would not be much harm to her. He did not like the idea of the fox joining him, though.

"I will come, too, then," Yoji said and rose. "I don't trust you either and I will keep Aya company."

The fox smirked at him. "Then Farfarello will join us, too. Nagi's still sleeping and Crawford's leg are too short. With Farfarello we'll make a nice four-leaved clover."

The ferret grinned. "I like clover."

"Then it's decided," Schuldig said cheerfully and headed for the door. When he reached the stairs he turned around and looked at Aya. "Are you coming?"

Aya gritted his teeth and jumped down from the desk. He went slowly, taking his time. He would not be rushed by this stupid Schwarz and he would certainly not let him intimidate him by any means. At least he had something Schuldig wanted. He was the one in control. He would be the leader.

The fox just rolled his eyes. "If you say so. So go on then. Lead us, oh fearless...er...cat."

Farfarello snickered and Yoji growled, but Aya just choose to ignore the obnoxious telepath. He would have to guard his thoughts, but he had done worse. All that mattered now was to get to the hospital and to keep Aya safe while taking her blood. Then this nightmare would finally come to an end.

* * *

Music: "Bangerang" - Skrillex


	12. Chapter 12

Schuldig looked at the elevator numbers. He frowned and asked Farfarello, "Where is the four?"

The ferret bared its teeth. "You never noticed before? They omit the number four wherever they can. Especially in hospitals and other official buildings."

Schuldig tilted his head. "Why that?"

"Because _four_ sounds like _death_ in Japanese," a low voice answered. The fox turned towards the cat. The feline looked up at the changing numbers and did not seem to notice him stare. Schuldig shook his head.

"You mean, you disregard the natural numerical order because the words _sound_ alike? You have to be kitten me."

The cat did not even blink, but Schuldig heard the faint thoughts that spoke of bloody murder. Murder that involved skinning him alive. Without using a knife. He snickered inwardly. Of course he had noticed that strange habit of eliminating the four before. But he knew how to wear people down and ignoring their culture was one of the most offensive things you could do to those Japanese fools. Like leaving your shoes on when entering their house or crossing the ribbons on a gift packages. He once offered a bowl of rice with the chopsticks poked into it to one of their clients. The reaction had been rather funny. Even more so, because Crawford actually killed the guy a few hours later.

"Ah, come on. You have to change your cattitude. Stay pawsitive!" Schuldig grinned at the cat that still choose to ignore him.

"Would you please refrain from those stupid cat puns?" The greyhound looked down on him with a sour expression. "They are not even funny. You've got paws, too, if you failed to notice."

"Well, I could change to dog jokes instead. Do you know what the Dalmatian said to the masseuse?"

The greyhound did not react. Schuldig stared at him and could hear him think. He was trying really hard to find the solution. Finally he gave up.

"I don't know. What did he say?"

"Oooh yeah, that's the spot."

The 'ding' of the elevator saved the greyhound from answering. The faint smell of disinfectants that had almost disappeared while the were in the elevator came back with full force. Schuldig wrinkled his nose. He did not like the smell. It stirred some not so pleasant memories. He steeled himself and got out of the cabin just before the greyhound could leave him to be the last. His tail hit the dog's nose and got him a growl. They all were a little...keyed up. For different reasons, though.

The cat, Aya, was worried about his sister. The greyhound, Yoji, was worried about Aya...and Schuldig. And his own face. This man/dog really _was_ vain. Farfarello was keen on killing something. That was nothing out of the ordinary, but today Schuldig had to hold him back from doing it. It made the ferret itchy and unpredictable. A state Schuldig usually enjoyed because on most days he liked the outcome of it, but right now he would have preferred a little reassurance. He would never admit it aloud, but the situation had started to get to him as well.

The way here had been full of obstacles. The night had driven most of the animals from the streets, but it had also brought out the hunters. They had had to dodge more than one pack of dogs and literally got into a catfight. At first Schuldig had thought that the two hissing and caterwauling felines were normal cats. Then one of them had uttered actual words and he had had to realize that they were former humans. He had been take aback by the fact that he had not been able to notice that. Afterwards he had searched the area for human thoughts and had had to admit that there were much fewer of them than expected. And their number was still decreasing. It was like watching a dark city. There were lights all over the place that started to go out one after another. At first you did not see a difference, because there were so many of them. But there came the point when you had to admit that it was getting darker and darker. And Schuldig was afraid of the darkness.

"What do you think you're doing?" An unpleasant nagging shook Schuldig out of his contemplation. He looked up and was faced with a voluminous white cat sitting on a round corner counter. Its long fur made it look even bigger while its face looked as if it had run into a wall several times. Large green eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Aya Fujimya. I'm her brother. We are here to visit her."

Schuldig could tell from Aya's thoughts that he had identified the white cat as the head nurse. The white cat gave up a little of her grumpy attitude.

"I see. You come here often, don't you? I'm afraid the hospital is closed right now due to the circumstances."

Aya's tail started to twitch just a little bit. He fought hard to stay in control. "We will just pay her a short visit to see if she is alright."

The cats stared at each other. Schuldig could hear their thoughts running high...and he could hear them change in their favor. Finally, the white cat lowered her head. She licked her front paw a few times.

"Alright, off you go. But don't let yourself be seen by any of the other patients. Since most of the doctors have run off, I can hardly contain them in their rooms."

Aya nodded and headed off towards a room at the end of the corridor. Schuldig quickly caught up with him.

"You know, you and grumpy cat would really make a purrfect match," he tried to get another reaction of the stubborn Weiß, but he was not even granted a glance. So he went for the thing that occupied the cat's thoughts the most.

"How come you and your sister share a name? That's odd, even in Japan, isn't it?"

Yellow-green eyes stared at him. "That's none of your business."

Schuldig smirked. "Curiosity is my middle name. You know what they say about curiosity and cats?"

Aya made a small noise that might have been a growl or something similar. Then he shook his head. "We will now enter my sister's room. I want everyone of you to stay back from her. I will take the sample all by myself."

Schuldig felt Farfarello move next to him and a husky voice whispered right into Schuldig's ear. "I'm excited to see how he will do this without thumbs. I predict there will be blood shed."

Schuldig nodded and followed the cat into the room. It was almost empty apart from a small cupboard, a chair, a bedside table, some beeping medical equipment and, of course, the bed. And on it lay...

"Oh deer," Schuldig said without even thinking about it. Spread out on the white linen was a young doe. The light-brown fur covering a slenderly built body still showed faint white marks. Large ears framed a delicate face despite of the muzzle with the prominent black nose. Her eyes were closed, but Schuldig imagined them to be large and brown and shiny.

Aya hopped onto the bed and sniffed at the doe. Then he rubbed his head against his sister's forehead.

"Everything will be alright, Aya. We just need something from you to cure everyone in Tokyo. You don't need to be afraid."

While the cat brother kept whispering reassuring things to his sister, Yoji stepped up to the bed. He tilted his head and frowned.

"A doe?" he murmured. "But that's not a domestic animal. That a wild one just like..."

He did not finish the sentence, but Schuldig could hear it in his thoughts anyway.

A wild animal just like the gifted members of Schwarz. Now this was interesting.

"Aya, are you alright up there?" Yoji asked and tried to get closer to the bed.

"I said back off," Aya snapped and showed his sharp fangs. "I've got everything under control."

His thoughts told Schuldig otherwise. Of course he could _not_ handle the syringe Dr. Nishimura had given him. I had been a stupid idea all along, but as the doctor had refused to leave the house they would either have to find someone with thumbs or...

"Why don't you wake her up? She will awaken from the pain of the sting anyway. Like that we could bring the whole sister to Dr. Nishimura's lab and not just her blood."

Yellow-green eyes almost pierced Schuldig through. "I cannot wake her up. She's in a coma caused by your former employer Reji Takatori."

"Ah, I see. That's what this whole revenge thing was about." Schuldig put on a fake understanding expression. "I always wondered what made you hate him so much. Apart from putting the blame for all those terrible murders on you and chasing you around like rats in a sewer system." He winked at Aya. "I guess you're even now. I mean, you killed him, didn't you?"

The cat hissed once more and turned round to the doe again. Maybe the sight calmed him down a bit. However, it did not solve the problem at hand. How would the get the blood sample, if they could not handle the needle? There was, of course, the possibility of just opening a vein and somehow catch up the flow, but that comprised the risk of killing her in the process, if they were not able to stop the bleeding in time. Schuldig was sure that another dead sister (or cousin, as it was, but he did not plan to share that information, because he was glad enough that no-one had raised the Ouka issue up to now) would make their collaboration even more challenging if not impossible. And Schuldig really, really wanted to get rid of these ears.

He stepped closer to the bed, ignored Aya's hateful stare and put his front paws on the white linen. He sniffed at the doe, but could not tell if there was anything unusual about her. The fact that she was a wild animal, on the other hand, was quite interesting. Was she gifted as well? With what kind of talent? Had Crawford seen her in one of his visions? Was this the reason Schuldig was here?

Instinctively he reached out with his telepathy and felt something he had not expected. He furrowed his brows. This was, indeed, unusual. It felt like a human mind hidden behind something that resembled a giant chewing gum bubble. He poked at it and it responded with a soft bump back. He sensed something going on behind it, but it was like watching the shadows of shadows. The dark blur of sounds and shapes could be anything. It made him curious.

"I could wake her up," he suggested and got unbelieving stares from the two Weiß. The both resembled owls more than a cat and a dog.

"You...you could do that?" Aya finally said. His thoughts were tumbling about in his mind. Schuldig tried to shut them out a bit and smirked.

"The did not codename me Mastermind for no reason. Your sister's spirit seems to be trapped inside her mind. I can get her back into the real world."

"Why would you do that?" Yoji wanted to know. He still was quite wary about trusting the members of Schwarz.

"Because I'm a nice person", Schuldig answered and rolled his eyes. "You know we could have killed you several times. Even let Takatori do it nice and quickly by telling him who and where you were. But we din't. Despite what you think of us we aren't homicidal maniacs." He spared Farfarello a glance. "At least not all of us."

Aya looked at him as if _he_ was trying to read Schuldig's mind. The wish to see his sister back between the living was burning strong and bright within the white knight, no matter how cool or aloof he wanted to appear. His sister was his Achilles' heel and Schuldig was ready to draw a knife whenever he had the chance to cut right through it. But first of all he wanted to know what was going on in this interesting head of hers and for that he needed Aya to trust him. He could not risk getting attacked while being stuck in the girl's head. And he had a feeling that getting through to her would take a while. Therefore it was essential to, at least, let Aya _think_ Schuldig was on his side.

He peered in Yoji's direction who was watching the scene from a slight distance. Of course this was not about him, but he would keep an eye on everything he thought suspicious and it looked like he thought Schuldig to be the biggest threat. Why could he not take Farfarello more serious? He was the one with the knives and the blade licking! But perhaps those hypocrite Weiß, like most people, only saw the one-eyed man as a weapon unable to make his own decisions. Which was not true. Sure, there were days when he needed a shorter leash, but most of the time he was not that crazy and pretty capable of accomplishing jobs on his own.

Schuldig smirked inwardly. Maybe he could use that prepossession, if he orchestrated things the right way. This was, after all, one of his favorite game. Getting people to do what he wanted by secretly pulling their strings. In another life he would have made a wonderful puppeteer. Lights! Music! Curtain! Here was the marvelous, the great, the one and only Schuldig...

 _'Hey, Blondie, I need a word with you.'_ It was essential not to be too friendly, if people thought you the scum of the earth. Double that if they thought you to be smart.

Yoji winced at the unwelcome sound in his head. Schuldig did not know what it felt like to be suddenly intruded by a telepath. He had been hearing all those voices as long as he could remember and was used to talking only in his mind. Nagi had once said it was a strange tingle when the connection was initiated for the first time. Yoji had to feel this right now and, judging from the look on his face, he was not amused at all.

 _'GET OUT OF MY HEAD!'_

Now it was Schuldig's part to wince.

 _'No need to shout at me'_ he growled mentally. _'I can hear you pretty well without you stabbing my telepathic ear drums.'_

Schuldig shook his head and barely resisted to scratch his ears that were still ringing. Sort of. Because it was not really his ears that were infected by Yoji's fury. It was more like a physical translation of his psychic pain. And now the greyhound was opening his mouth/nuzzle to actually voice his complaint! Schuldig had to prevent that or it would lure Aya on his trail.

 _'Shut up and listen'_ he thought again not too friendly. _'I'm trying to help here. We have a problem.'_

Yoji tilted his head and still looked distrustful.

Schuldig sighed. _'Ok, the short version. Aya is trying to get his sister's blood. As soon as he spills the first drop, Farfarello is very likely to go berserk. Even_ I _will not be able to hold him back then.'_

Yoji gaze wandered in Farfarello's direction. The ferret was watching Aya intently, his little pink tongue licking the sharp edge of his teeth. He really looked bloodthirsty and Schuldig thanked whatever devil was steering Farfarello's mind at the moment. It left the gate wide open for Schuldig to march through.

 _'You see what I mean?'_ he asked, leaving some of the conversation to Yoji. It had to look like it was his own idea to convince Aya into letting Schuldig have his way with his precious little sister. Luckily, Yoji did not seem to be the brightest candle on the pie. Which was, on the one hand, good, but unfortunately he also jumped for the wrong conclusion.

 _'We have to get him away from here'_ , the greyhound confirmed. _'I could carry him outside.'_

 _'Only if you want to save the fee for a tonsillectomy. And the removal of other major parts of your throat.'_

Yoji pursed his lips in disgust. Maybe the image Schuldig had sent with that thought had been quite convincing. It was nothing he himself had not seen Farfarello doing, so it was easy to conjure up the most horrible sceneries even for this Weiß who certainly was used to some level of violence and blood shed.

 _'But what can we do? We need the blood sample from Aya's sister for the antidote.'_

 _'If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain.'_ Schuldig wriggled his eyebrows (or what was left of them) suggestively. Yoji only looked more confused. Had this putz been paying attention to anything Schuldig had said before? Or maybe it was just the western symbolism that did not work for the Asian man...dog...whatever. Perhaps tickling his chivalric instincts would do better.

'We _don't need the blood.'_ Schuldig pointed out. _'Dr. Nishimura does. And we might as well carry all of it to her...or let it walk there on its very own feet. Do you get what I'm implying, now? We could save the girl...and even get some benefits to it like getting our own appearance back. I don't know about you, but I miss seeing my face. And the ears! Oh those ears..."_

Schuldig let his mental voice trail off and left Yoji to his own device. The greyhound shot Schuldig one last look, before his expression changed from wariness to determination. He stepped up to the bed.

"Aya, I think, Schuldig is right."

Everyone in the room looked at him in confusion. Schuldig was only faking it, but as he was the only one being able to read other minds neither Aya nor Farfarello would notice.

"What do you mean?" Aya growled and his tail started to lash behind him. He ducked down on the bed as of he wanted to pounce on Yoji.

"I think, we should let him examine your sister. Perhaps he is the only one who can help her in her state. Do you really want to miss that chance? Perhaps the only chance she has to ever recover? Are you really that selfish?"

Aya looked like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on him. Instead of imposing the perfect picture of a protective brother he looked like a drowned, well, cat.

Schuldig had to bite back a laugh. This was so pathetic! But it was working. Oh, it was working so well. Aya slowly retreated, his yellow-green eyes fixated on Schuldig.

"If anything happens to her, I'll kill you," he said, but his voice missed the normal oomph. Schuldig had beaten him fair and square. Well, perhaps not fair, but who wanted to split hairs? There were bigger things lying ahead.

Schuldig hopped onto the bed and settled next to the doe's head. He made himself comfortable and closed his eyes. This was going to be interesting. Very interesting indeed.

* * *

Music: Coraline end credits - Bruno Coulais


	13. Chapter 13

The resistance Schuldig faced when trying to enter the girl's mind was stronger than he had expected. Her consciousness seemed to be completely surrounded by this strange barrier that did give a little when he tried to force his way in, but nevertheless remained unbreachable to any of his attempts. He shoved and pushed, he tore and cut and even tried to bite his way through, but nothing worked. Exhausted he leaned onto the barrier, embraced it like an old friend and muttered, "Why won't you let me in? I will help you, I promise. I'll bring you back to your brother and you will be reunited like...like...siblings. Please, let me in."

He waited, but there was no reaction. Nothing but the faint echo of thoughts that were to vague to distinguish. He sighed, leaned against the wall with his back to it and closed his eyes. Maybe they should just take her blood and leave her be. He would have died to get in there, but as it was impossible he might as well return to the real world. Suddenly he felt the resistance fade and before he knew it he fell backwards. The world became whirl of colors, up became down, something knocked him on the head and when he opened his eyes again, he was once more covered in red fur. A bushy tail waved behind him and his face was a slim nuzzle with a pointy nose.

"Oh great!" Schuldig shook his head with the annoyingly large ears. "Now I can't even contain my human form in my mind." He thought about it. "Or maybe it's because it's not _my_ mind."

He looked around and discovered himself sitting in a patch of green grass. When he lifted his gaze it fell upon a forest surrounded by a light blue sky with feathery white clouds. Schuldig would have sworn it had not been there before, but as it was now, he could as well explore it. Maybe he would spot some clues where to find the girl.

Schuldig got up and set foot on a sandy path that suddenly stretched under his paws.

"Well, it seems that I have _some_ control here. So let's see. I want to be at the edge of the forest."

The words had just left his mouth, when he nearly bumped his nose on a nearby tree. He smirked. This was easier then he thought. Now where was the girl...?

He stepped back and spotted two ways leading into the woods. One of them was dark and full of lurking shadows. Things with too many eyes seemed to move in the murk and there was a constant whisper of threats hiding in an unfriendly wind that made the black leaves of the trees rustle and shiver. Their branches stretched far into the gloomy alley and their twigs looked like clawed hands. The other one was a friendly path with warm sunlight painting golden patterns on the floor and white flowers decorating the side of the road. It was invitingly even while the other was full of potholes and stones and thorny vines creeping around like snakes waiting to tangle whoever dared to come near them. The richness of details was rather surprising. Normally inner worlds tended to be a bit more simplified. This one made him imagine even the smell of the grass and flowers and the sensation of the wind ruffling his fur.

Schuldig set down and looked to and fro between the two alleys. "Which one should I take?" he said to himself.

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," a purring voice answered him. He looked up and discovered a big tabby cat sitting on the branch of an old tree. A grin nearly split its face in two and showed more teeth than should have been possible.

"And you are?" Schuldig said, not sure if he could trust the smiling feline.

"I am unlost unlike you," the cat said and turned over to lie on her back. "Do you want some tea?"

"I want to meet the creator of this world," Schuldig said and tilted his head. He had now recognized the cat and did not want to trigger any more quotes.

"Then you can take either way. Only one is long and one is short."

"And which is which?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out." The cat's silhouette started to fade leaving just a intangible outline and the grin still turned upside down. "Are you sure you don't want any tea?"

"Yes I am sure," Schuldig confirmed and the cat finally disappeared. He watched the spot where the grin still seemed to be lingering in the air.

 _'I wonder what other creature I will meet. I have a feeling that the Cheshire Cat was just the beginning.'_

The fox turned to the two pathways again. He was pretty sure what they meant. He was, after all, a trained telepath. Psychics like him and Crawford were taught to erect inner worlds like this. He often used a modified version of it to create a link between the members of Schwarz to communicate and exchange information without other people noticing. Schuldig had never liked those lessons, though. His inner world was a place he did not really want to visit. It mostly contained a horrific amusement park where the carousel horses tried to bite of your fingers and the ghost train was a trip with no return. Not to mention the murderous clowns and poisoned cotton candy. Even the balloon animals could tried to wrap themselves around your neck and strangle you. Besides, other people's heads provided so much more fun and entertainment.

There were the dreams, the positive motivations, the goals in live they wanted to achieve and all those happy feelings. And then there were their fears, their hate, their grieve, their sources of shame and guilt, of envy and despair. Schuldig absolutely _loved_ those areas. The gave him the ammunition he needed to get people to do as he pleased.

"Normally I would take the dark way to find out about her innermost fears, but I guess I'll have to use a different technique here. I don't want her to fear me, I want her to trust me. To see me as a friend. At least until I found out how useful she might be. So let's see what little girl Aya dreams about."

Schuldig started to walk the well-lit path and soon got to a meadow with big cherry trees. The trees were in full bloom and the light pink blossom petals made them look like brides in richly embroidered evening gowns. There were, however, some dark and bold trees. They looked like morbid skeletons between the richness and liveliness of the other trees. Suddenly Schuldig saw an old man walking between the trees. The man waved his hand at one of the leafless trees and a moment later the tree sprang to life bringing forth the most beautiful blossoms. The man smiled and went to the next tree.

 _'Weird Japanese fairy tales'_ Schuldig thought to himself and avoided a crab staring up at a tree where a monkey was holding out a ripe fruit.

"Give it to me," the crab said. "This is my tree."

"Well I was the one who picked it so it is mine," the monkey argued back and bit into the fruit, the juice squirting into every direction.

As Schuldig watched the two animals fight a girl appeared at the edge of the forest. She was framed by two giant white wolves. Schuldig instinctively ducked down. Those wolves did not seem to be very friendly and he did not want to have to answer to the questions that his presence would surely evoke. He was sure that this girl was something similar to a guardian to this inner world. He had to watch out for those...

He used the long grass to crawl around the girl and continued his path until he reached another clearing. Two figures were standing next to each other admiring a beautiful rose. One was a little blond boy and the other one was...a fox!

The red-furred animal just lifted his head and said, "People have forgotten this truth. But you mustn't forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you've tamed. You're responsible for your rose."

Schuldig smirked. Now that was something he could work with. Perhaps it was not so bad that he had had to come here as a fox after all. All he had to do was to find the girl. He was just about to get up, as a shadow fell over him. He turned and was faced with a boy who was carrying a big club. On his right was a little dog and on his left a monkey. Schuldig was just about to open his mouth to greet them as another animal appeared. It was a brown bird with a long tail, a green head and a large red spot on either side of it. A pheasant.

"Who are you?" the boy wanted to know. "Are you lost?"

Schuldig thought quickly. Perhaps he would need some help to find the girl. "Yes, I am lost. I am looking for my owner. Her name is Aya."

The boy frowned. "I did not know, Aya-chan had a fox."

"Well, she tamed me just recently. Would you take me to her, please?"

Schuldig tried to look as harmless and innocent as he could. Of course this boy was from another, probably Japanese story, but as he and all the others were a product of the girl's mind they would eventually share the same knowledge. But even if he didn't it was very likely that he, who had so many animal companions, would take it as granted that the girl had an animal friend, too.

The boy scratched his nose. "All right. I will take you to Aya-chan. But if you are lying and if you are a monster instead, I will kill you."

"That's fair enough," Schuldig said and hoped he would be able to avoid the killing part.

The boy took Schuldig to a pond. A large willow was standing beside it, the long branches nearly reaching the floor. In the shadows a small silhouette was huddled on the floor. When they came closer, Schuldig saw a girl with dark, braided hair. She lifted her head and a smile lightened up her features.

"Momotaro," she said to the boy. "Did you find a new adventure? Please, tell me everything about it."

The boy shook his head. "No, but I found this fox. He says that you are his owner."

Her eyes went wide. "Really?" She quickly got up and took a closer look at Schuldig. He sat down and smiled.

"Hello Aya."

"I have to leave," the boy said. "I have to go out and be brave and fight the monsters."

Aya nodded absently. Her eyes were fixated on Schuldig. She sat down and reached out her hand to touch his head. Just inches away from his ears she paused and frowned.

"You are not my fox," she said with determination. "Who are you?"

Schuldig bowed his head. "My name is Schuldig. I came here from a far away land to see you. I bring news from your brother."

For a moment her eyes flickered, but then she closed up her face. "My brother is dead. He died long ago and I do not want to talk to you about him."

She turned and stared into the water. Schuldig didn't say anything. Instead he sat down beside her and looked into the water. Colorful fish were swimming by sometimes touching the surface of the pond causing little circles to break the smoothness of the water before sinking back into the depths.

"Are you sure you do not want to tame me?" Schuldig said after a while. "We could be friends."

She pouted. "Friend don't lie to each other."

Schuldig drew up his eyebrows. "I didn't lie to you. I never lie."

She suddenly stood, her fists clenched at her sides. "You said, Ran is still alive. But that cannot be true. I saw him and he is dead."

She turned around and ran of towards a little house and went inside. Schuldig followed her carefully and found her kneeling in front of a little altar. White flowers stood in a small vase and a plate held some dumplings. Smoke rose from a incense bowl not leaving a trace of smell behind. Three stone plates displayed the names of the dead, one of them 'Ran' as she had called her brother. Aya had closed her eyes and he saws traces of tears glistening on her lashes. For being in her happy place this girl was rather sad.

He sat down and thought about a solution. It was quite obvious that she was stuck in here and did not even _want_ to get out. The outside world offered nothing to her and so she wanted to remain in the relative safety of her dreamland. She made it neat and clean, decorated it with figures from stories she knew and waited...waited for what? What would drive her from her listlessness?

A smile parted his lips when it stroke him like a lightening bolt. Of course, it had to be a story. A fairy tale. But which one? Which one would give Aya the courage to face the outside world again and the obstacles that would await them on the way there? He was not used to telling bedtime stories, so he would have to come up with something from his own childhood. His smile widened into a smirk when he thought just about the right story, his own five-year-old voice echoing in his mind.

"Mama, liest du mir etwas vor? Biiiitteee!"

He remembered his mother's sighing before asking him, "Was möchtest du denn hören? Ein Märchen? Hänsel und Gretel? Oder der Gestiefelte Kater? Oder vielleicht die Geschichte vom Tischlein deck dich?"

Sometimes he'd let her get away with it. Took one of the offered stories or even let her pick one she wanted to read. Usually she tended to read one of the shorter stories so she could go back to work sooner. But when he was in a foul mood, which happened quite often, he chose another story. It was about seven brothers who were cursed by their mother because they were wild and wicked. They were turned into ravens, flew away and left the mother with only her youngest child, a girl. When the girl had grown up she went out to search for her brothers and finally found them on top of a glass mountain. They recognized their sister and brought her home together witch all the treasures they had gathered while they were ravens. In the end the mother forgave all their evil deeds and they became humans again to live happily ever after.

He had his mother read this story over and over. Not because he liked it so much, oh no. It was because of her reaction to a special part of the story. When facing the glass mountain the girl caught a goose, cut of its wings and feet and attached them to her own body so she could fly or walk up the mountain without slipping. For him this was just a minor part of the story, but his mother was deeply appalled by that violent act against the innocent animal every time she had to read it to him. He always watched his mother's face, the thin line that appeared between her brows, the hard edge to her mouth, the tiny narrowing of her eyes. He drew in her disgust, her repugnance and enjoyed how he could make her do it anyway. Sometimes she tried to skip the part, but he always cried out until she read it properly. And he always watched her suffer while doing it.

Schuldig sneered and sat next to Aya. He leaned in to her and whispered, "You are so sad, little Aya. But I can make it better. Come her, let me tell you a story. It's called 'The seven Ravens' and I'm sure you will like it."

* * *

Music: "Come Little Children" - Erutan


	14. Chapter 14

When the fox with the strange name had finished his tale his words seemed to linger in the air. Heavy with significance. Aya shook her head. She almost could see the girl from the story. How she was brave, how she had overcome all those difficulties to save her brother. Aya envied her. She clenched her fists and tried to ignore the sting in her eyes.

The fox tilted his head. "Did you like the story?"

Aya nodded, not able to push any words past the lump in her throat.

"You know you could be like that girl," he said sweet and alluring. "You could save your brother. He is not dead. All you have to do is come with me. I'll show you the way."

"I don't know..."

Aya furrowed her brows. What if the fox spoke the truth? Could she trust him? She looked at him from the corner of her eyes. The little prince had a fox and it was a wise advisor. And weren't foxes said to be intelligent and associated with Inari, the god of rice, the protector of food and the bringer of prosperity? But they could also be tricksters, leading one astray from what was right and decent.

His voice broke the silence. "I see. You do not want to see him again. He must have upset you quite heavily."

"That's not true!" Aya sprung from her seat. "It's just...I don't know. I have believed him to be dead for so long now."

The fox narrowed his eyes. "For how long?"

She started to fumble her dress. "I tried to count the days, but after the first wall was covered I stopped making marks. It was pointless anyway. And San said.."

"San?" The fox perked his ears and than shook his head and mumbled something under his breath. He looked at Aya again. "Who is San?"

"She lives in the woods and she...she is very brave, too. She and her wolf friends protect us from what lives behind the forest."

The fox fell silent, obviously thinking. Aya did not know what to do, so she just waited for him to finish his thoughts. It wasn't something she was not used to by now. Waiting.

Finally he gave up his brooding.

"What if you told San that you want to cross the forest? Would she come with you?"

Aya's eyes went wide. "Of course not. I once asked her about it, but she said I would be safer here. I guess...if I tried to go into the forest she would probably..." She did not finish the sentence. Somehow the fox's questions made her feel awkward. Suddenly she wished he hadn't come. But what about Ran? Was he really still alive? Wasn't she obliged to find out whether he had said the truth?

The red-furred animal sighed. "You don't believe me. And why should you? After all, you don't know me. If we had more time I would be pleased to get to know you. You seem like a nice girl. Unfortunately, I'm in a bit of a hurry. Your brother and other people are in danger and they count on me to help them. So I guess it will be the best to leave you here in your little happy place with only your own thoughts to keep you company."

Aya blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about? I have friends here. They all helped me after...after my family had died."

"They did?" The fox snorted. "As I see it they lied to you all along. Out of the best of intentions I suppose. Nevertheless the kept you away from the truth. The truth that lies behind the forest."

"But..." She looked around in her little home and felt the fox move to her side.

"You _know_ this is not real. Deep down inside you know it. Why haven't your dumplings gone bad? Why does your incense miss the smell? Why are the cherry trees always in bloom? Why do the animals talk?"

"But you talk," Aya said defensively.

The fox lowered his head. "That different. I'm really a human, but a wicked witch has turned me into an animal. I need you to get my human self back."

He looked so miserable that Aya wanted to reach out and stroke him. But that would be wrong if he really was a human being. Could that be true anyway? What if he only told her what she wanted to hear to get her to do the things _he_ wanted? She uttered a short, sad laugh.

"Next you tell me that Ran was turned into a raven and that I have to save him."

"A cat."

"What?"

"Your brother has been turned into a cat," the fox snarled. "And he is the most annoying cat I have ever met. And that includes his stupid dog friends _and_ the rabbit."

Aya tried not to laugh. She put her hand over her mouth, but it was no use. Finally, she broke into laughter and and laughed and laughed until her eyes were wet with tears. She wiped them away and smiled at the sulking animal.

"You really are funny," she managed to get out before giggling again. He looked like he had bitten into a lemon.

"I'm so glad I could humor you."

Aya got up and smoothed out her dress. "Let's get something to eat. I'm starving and you must be hungry, too."

Instead of an answer the fox's belly started to rumble.

She bowed. "I'm sorry. I'm an awful host. Please, make yourself comfortable. I will cook something for us."

Aya went to the small kitchen area and started to get everything she needed from the cupboard and shelves. She felt the fox watching her, but she tried to concentrate on her hands. Her laughter had taken away some of her tension, but now it came creeping back on ice cold spider legs. His words tumbled about in her mind and made her heart ache. A cat. He said Ran was a cat. It would be like him, but what about...

"My parents. Are they still alive, too?" Her tone was casual, but the way her fingers clenched around the rim of the rice bowl were giving her away.

"No, they are not. I know that you know that. You wouldn't have erected that forest if it wasn't like that."

She paused, the kettle with the boiling water still in her hand. "What do you mean? I did not erect the forest."

"You did," the fox insisted. "You wanted to stay here and never go back. So you hid yourself behind those trees and decorated your little world with characters from books and fairy tales. Do you still think this is real? Let me show you, it isn't."

Her hands started to tremble. She put the kettle down and did not dare to turn around. She looked at the indigents she had gathered and suddenly wondered how they got into her shelves. She certainly had not put them there. So why were her cupboards always full? Why was her garden always filled with flowers? Why did it never rain like on that night? And why had she never noticed that before? It was like the fox had shattered her world and she could not fit the pieces back together again. The spell was broken, her safe haven gone for good.

"How?" Her voice was barely audible, nothing more than a frightened whisper of a child hiding in the dark.

"Let me take you to the other side of the forest. If I am lying, there will be nothing there but another meadow. But if I am telling the truth..."

"I will see Ran again." The words had fled from her mouth before she could hold them back. She swallowed and turned around slowly. "All right. I will come with you. But before we leave, we will eat."

Schuldig waited for her to finish the meal preparations. If he had been to choose, he would have pushed her out into the fields to get her to that stupid forest as soon as possible. To his discontent she was stronger than he had expected. He still could not turn back into his human form and that limited his options to pretty much nothing but waiting. It also made him wonder about her gift. A kind of telepathy was very likely, but it had to be different than his.

 _'An empath maybe'_ he thought to himself. Empaths came in varying strengths. Some were merely a living lie detector, whereas others could not only feel but also transmit emotions and plant fear and pain into the heart of their enemies. Those were, of course, very rare and he had only met one or two by the time being. One had been part of a team with her twin sister, able to create powerful illusions. Those two had been quite impressive as they could manipulate and fight back even large groups. He wondered where they were now...

"Diner's ready!"

Schuldig startled and blinked down at the bowl of soup before him. It smelled good and the girl's smile made him smile in response. She sat down and started to eat silently. He sniffed at the soup and felt something warm rise inside him.

 _'Definitely an empath. I can sense her friendliness seep into me and weaken my determination. It makes me want to stay here and let her fondle and stroke my like a stupid pet. It's about time to get out of here.'_

He gulped down some of the soup and licked his lips. It wasn't half bad..for inner world food. Her gift even made him feel the taste of it and let him imagine how it smelled. It was fascinating now that he had a grip on what she could do. It was, however, questionable if she could transfer her abilities to the outside world. Maybe if they spent more time together, he would be able to...

Schuldig stopped mid-thought and shook his head. She was _influencing_ him! Impudent little brat. Instead of concentration on her fear she tried to make Schuldig warm and comfortable so he would let her stay. He smirked as her spell fell from him now that he had noticed.

 _'You future husband better be wealthy. I guess he will buy you anything you want just to keep you happy. I really don't envy Aya..Ran of getting you back.'_

He looked at her as she put away their bowl. Would she be worth training? Would it be possible to make her a powerful weapon? To even use her against Weiß once this adventure was over? This would be _so_ entertaining. He really should keep that idea in mind. Crawford would know more about it. He was the one for scheming and making up plans. Schuldig would contribute all the information he had gathered and see what came out of it.

"I'm ready." Aya did not look like she was ready, but he did not care. All he had to do was to get her to the other side of the forest.

"Let's go then," he answered cheerfully making a show of being the friendly, friendly fox. It would not do him any good if she became suspicious now.

They left the house and saw the boy with the three animals standing on a small hill.

"Hey, Aya-chan, where are you going?" he shouted and waved at her.

She smiled and waved back. "I'm going home, Momotaro-kun. Don't forget me."

"I won't," he promised. "And if you need help with some monsters, just call for me. I will be there for you."

His outlines blurred and then he was gone. Aya gasped in surprise.

"Where is he?"

"He's with you," Schuldig answered. "He was the image of your courage and you need him on your way. All of those that live her with you are in a way projections of you character traits. Kindness, compassion, generosity, selfishness, curiosity, vanity. All of them live her together with you. But you are more than that and you have to go back to those who love you. You have to save your brother."

Schuldig saw her gaze waver for a moment, then she lifted her chin and walked towards the forest in a straight line.

 _'Yes, I did it. Now all we have to do is cross the forest and...oh no.'_

Schuldig flattened his ears and growled. The San-girl and the two wolves had stepped put of the forest and waited for them. She did not seem to be very amused.

"Aya!" The fierce girl yelled. "Where are you going?"

"San..." Aya had stopped and her face was suddenly anxious, her voice shaking. "We...we want to go to the other side of the forest."

San was wearing a black and white dress and a white fur, probably from a wolf, was draped around her shoulders. She had three red, tooth-shaped marks painted on her face which made her look wild and intimidating. The spear in her hand hit the ground with determination.

"I will not allow it. It's dangerous out there."

While Aya seemed to be rooted to the spot, Schuldig stepped forward.

"Who are you? What feeling or trait do you represent?"

The girl narrowed her eyes and the wolfs came closer and growled at him. "What do you mean?"

Schuldig calculated his chances to win against the three opponents and decided to go a different way. He smiled and bowed.

"Excuse me my rudeness. My name is Schuldig. I came here to rescue Aya."

"She doesn't need to be rescued." The girl sneered. "I am here to protect Aya from every harm."

Schuldig tilted his head. "I see."

 _'So she can be arrogant and short tempered as well. Her responsibility and stubbornness might be mixed in, too. So let's see. How do we get past this female white knight? Words won't be the weapon of choice I guess. If we want to get past her, we will have to force our way through.'_

Schuldig stood close to Aya and whispered, "I will keep them occupied so that you can escape into the woods. Run as fast as you can and don't look back. I will find you on the other side."

Her eyes went wide. "You will fight San? But..."

He cut her short before she could go on whining. "No time for buts. Just do as I say. Run when they don't look your way."

Aya looked at him with tears in her eyes. He felt a warm wave wash over him, but shook it of immediately. He could not afford to be warm and fuzzy now. He had to be sharp and fast. Very fast. The fact that this world was not real did not make it any less dangerous. If he died in here he would also be dead in the outside world. And he did not plan to let that happen.

"Go!" he snapped before she could wrap her arms around him and cry him a river. She braced herself, choked back her tears and nodded. Finally!

He turned around and snarled at the San-girl. "A fight it is then. If I win you let us go."

The wild girl bared her teeth and growled in unison with her wolves. The started to spread out, trying to circle him and Aya. He had to prevent that from happening or she would be trapped. Thus, he sprang forward and snapped at one of the wolves. It barked in confusion and growled even louder. The sound was deep and intimidating. It made Schuldig's fur rise. The yellow eyes sparked with anger and hatred.

"Your bark seem worse than your bite... _dog_." Schuldig laughed and danced around the wolf a bit to get in to turn away from Aya. Suddenly he noticed the other wolf behind him. He'd let himself get surrounded.

 _'Damm it. You better be a good runner little Aya. Now GO!'_

He saw her whirl around as if she had heard him, but then the giant white wolf blocked his sight. Its hot breath promised pain and death. It growled again and all of a sudden it leaped forward, its fangs aiming at Schuldig's throat. Schuldig ducked down and made himself as flat as possible. He rolled over and kicked the wolf's stomach making good use of his claws while snapping at one of the wolf's hind legs. He felt the skin rip under his assault, blood tainting the white fur. He was kicked off and tumbled over. The wolf yowled and limped away. The other one lowered his head to pounce on Schuldig, but he quickly got up and jumped out of reach. The uninjured wolf growled and and snapped the air in frustration. Growling it tried to get close to Schuldig again.

"Stop it!" San yelled and came towards Schuldig with her spear. She tried to stab him, but he caught the weapon between his teeth and broke it into. It was easier than he had expected.

The girl stared at her broken weapon. "That's impossible. You cannot...you...you are a demon!"

Schuldig bared his reddened teeth and grinned. He barely resisted to grow some extra tails and horns, now that Aya's grip on her world was fading. "Maybe I am. But you are stupid. You have let your precious Aya get away. Now she's too far and you will never catch her."

San's eyes went wide and she looked downright horrified. "What have you done?"

Schuldig's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "I have awoken the sleeping beauty."

* * *

Music: "Moi... Lolita" - Alizée


	15. Chapter 15

Yoji had never really thought about what kind of sounds deer made. If he'd had been to guess, he would have said they just remain quiet. The doe on the bed, however, was far from quiet. It/she whimpered and even made sounds that resembled barking. It would have been fascinating if he had not been obliged to hold back Aya from ripping Schuldig apart.

"Let me GO!" Aya snarled and tried sink his claws into whatever part of Yoji he could reach. Again. Yoji certainly wanted to avoid that because, man, cat's claws really hurt!

"I can't, Aya. You pretty well know that," Yoji said or better tried to say as his muzzle was filled with Aya's neck fur.

But Aya did not want to hear of that. He was dangling his feet in the air and acted like he wanted to use Yoji as a scratching post. Yoji felt the rising urge to just shake some sense into the stupid feline until it stopped moving. It would be so easy. One fast jerk would easy break...

Yoji gasped and recoiled from what he nearly had done. Aya landed on all fours and immediately turned against Schuldig. He hissed and lowered his back to jump at the fox. Suddenly a white shadow moved in front of him.

"Fool!" Farfarello had lifted himself to his hind legs and bared his teeth. He was not really taller than Aya, nevertheless he looked more...intimidating. Aya could be pretty frightening when he was in a mood, but that one-eyed menace was a different kind of story. Who ever was attacked by it would not only be injured, he was in danger of loosing a body part even if the ferret would have to gnaw it off.

"Out of the way!" Aya hissed again, but backed off a bit. Farfarello shook his head.

"You endanger both of them, if you disturb Schuldig in his work." The ferrets gaze flickered to the doe whose legs were twitching as if she was running very fast. Another whimper left her nuzzle. Farfarello smiled. At least Yoji thought he did. 'Grinned madly' was another expression that came to his mind.

"We are born into this world through blood and pain. Do you think a rebirth will be any different? You have bathed yourself in blood. You should know better. Now keep quiet and wait for Schuldig to finish his work."

To say Aya looked puzzled would have been the understatement of the century. He seemed to be frozen to the spot not moving a hair on his back. Yoji felt the urge to sniff and snuffle him and perhaps lick him to tell him everything would be all right. The greyhound shook his head so his ears flapped against his head.

 _'I need some sleep, something to eat and a smoke. Not necessarily in that order.'_

Suddenly Aya's pose changed. The cat seemed to relax and sat down drawing his paws under his body. He closed his eyes and started to...purr? Yoji blinked and let out his breath he hadn't noticed he was holding in. This was a good sign, wasn't it? If Aya was content with waiting so would be Yoji. Thus, Yoji sat down and lowered himself on his belly as well. He put his head on his front paws and peered up to the bed. All this mind reading, future seeing, moving things just by a thought kind of things were far beyond his horizon. If he had been honest, he would have liked to bark and run around to release some of his tension. But as this would have been humiliating, he limited himself to waving his tail a bit. It made things a little easier.

 _'In and out. In and out.'_ Aya controlled his breath and felt the vibrations of his own purring run through his body. It was oddly soothing like a kind of meditation. The waves of an ocean of calmness washing away some of his fear and anger. His heart started to beat slower and his muscles relaxed a bit. He still felt strung up, but it was bearable if he concentrated on the rhythm of the purring. _'In and out. In and out.'_

The purring could not stop his thoughts from running around, though. Under the urge to hurt Schuldig for hurting his sister there was a steady undercurrent of worry and fear, fueled by Farfarello's accusations. What, if Schuldig _really_ did it. If this _telepath_ could really wake Aya up. He had always hoped it would happen and that he would be able to keep her away from Weiß and everything related to it. But now this would be impossible. She would wake up right in the middle of his messed-up, blood soaked life and would inevitably be drawn into it. The image was more disturbing than he liked to admit. She was still so pure, so innocent. It was not right...

"He's coming." Farfarello's husky voice shook Aya out of his meditative state.

He jumped up and stared at the bed. His tail went straight into the air and his whiskers stretched forward and vibrated. The movements of his sister had stopped completely. She looked like she had over the last two years. Silent and beautiful, but static and lifeless like a picture or a statue. He opened his muzzle and a strange noise, almost a yowl, escaped his throat. Was this really it? Would she come back? Would all his waiting come to an end now?

Her eyelids started to flutter and then...then...they opened!

Aya felt his heart stop for a moment before leaping back to beat doubletime. This were not his sister's eyes and yet they were it. It was like he was seeing through her outer appearance and looked into her face as it used to be. Aya was alive!

"Aya!"

He called out to her, before he had thought about it. The doe startled and sprang to her feet with a squawking noise. She almost keeled over, but quickly regained her balance. Her lanky legs were shaking a bit, but she stood her ground and lifted her head. When their eyes met, she smiled at him.

"Ran."

This single word was more than enough. He crossed the distance between them and was suddenly faced with a very odd problem. He wanted to close her into his arms and tell her that everything would be alright. But first of all he did not have any arms and second, she was taller than him. Much taller.

"Aya...I..." He searched for words, but there weren't any in his mind, only a blank space with droplets of red on it that looked like a ferret's foot prints.

Aya came closer and sniffed at him.

"Is that really you, Ran?" Her big eyes filled with tears. "I...I thought you dead for so long."

He really wanted to say something. Tell her, that he was sorry. Wipe her tears away and...

"Seeing Aya speechless was more than worth the whole transformation thing." Aya blinked. He knew that voice. Yoji!

The greyhound made himself visible and bowed to the doe. "My name is Yoji. I'm...a friend of Ay...your brother. I'm glad that red-furred bastard was able to bring you back."

"Red-furred...?" The doe shook one of her big ears while staring at the dog. Then understanding changed her features to worry. "Schuldig!" She turned around to the fox still sleeping on the bed. He snarled and snapped and...opened his eyes. He jumped up and shook his head.

"That must have been the oddest mind trip I have ever had." He paused and scratched himself behind the ears. "On the second thought, maybe not. At least you inner world made some sense."

Schuldig leaped down from the bed and shot the mismatched pair a look.

"You owe me one, _Aya_ , " he said with a smirk leaving it open who he meant by that.

Aya's sister blinked and looked around. "This is so strange. One moment I was running through a forest, the next I wake up to be an animal. A doe! This cannot be real. Am I still dreaming?"

"You're not, princess," Schuldig replied before Aya could react. "I told your we were turned into animals. See, I did not lie. I never do."

Yoji snorted and Farfarello's face seemed to be on the amused side of dangerous until he raised his head and listened.

"There's someone coming," he informed them. "At least three or four. The head nurse with them. Should I take them out?"

Schuldig shook his head. "Not necessary. I guess, a silent alarm was set, when our sleeping beauty rose from her bed. We should take a French leave unless cat boy wants to have a bit of a hanky-panky with grumpy cat."

"Watch your mouth," Aya growled and looked in Aya's direction. She still seemed to be a bit confused, but able to walk and follow them. As much as he wanted to let her stay here longer and get used to the sudden change he just couldn't. He had to get her away from here as soon as possible. And on the way he had to keep Schuldig away from _her_ as far as possible.

Farfarello grinned at him, apparently amused by his concern. "Don't worry, she's fine. I'm a predator. I would know if she was weak or injured."

His grin widened to something more dangerous. A flash of understanding crossed Aya's mind. He knew this state Farfarello was in. He sometimes reached it within a fight, concentrating only on movement, speed, sharp blades and finding the opening in an opponent's defense. It surprised him that Farfarello was still that functional.

Schuldig made a disapproving sound resembling a hoarse bark. "Hurry now, no time for idle chit-chat. We will have to use the stairs and our _Bambi_ here will have some trouble with that."

The entered the hall and reached the stairs just in time. As the door closed that could here the nagging voice of the head nurse.

"They must be in here I told you, these punks meant.."

The closing door swallowed her words leaving them in the echoing stair way. Aya wanted to run as fast as possible, but Schuldig had been right about his sister having trouble with the steps. The doe carefully took one of them after the other.

"Hurry up, princess, or they'll catch you and cut you up just to see what's inside of you." Schuldig sounded annoyed and angry.

"Don't talk to her"; Aya growled and added a hiss for good measure. "And stop calling her princess."

"Oh, what should I call her then? _Aya_? Could be a little confusing, don't you think?" the fox sneered. "Or should I start calling you _Ran_? From the oafish look on your dog companion's face I can tell that none of your friends knows you by that name either? Really. Who takes his sister's name to go out and murder people?"

"Ran?" Aya had stopped climbing down the stairs, her eyes dilated with surprise and a hint of fear. She looked from Schuldig to him and back again.

"What is he talking about?"

Aya felt the urge to tear Schuldig's throat out here and now. He swallowed and took a deep breath. "Later," he answered. "When we're safe we will... _talk_."

She remained motionless, only watching him with those big, brown eyes. Finally, after what seemed like hours to him, she nodded. "Ok, brother. I trust you. Both of you. Now let's get out of here."

She went past him, leaving Aya confused. Did she just say she trusted Schuldig? What happened to make this catastrophe possible? What had Schuldig done?

They left the hospital through a side entrance and headed out into the night. It had to be long past midnight, the streets were quiet, only the streetlights leaving an evidence of the civilization that had fled Tokyo earlier the night before. Aya wondered, how many people had already lost their human consciousness. He himself felt it harder and harder to concentrate on the mission. Instead he wanted to curl up somewhere warm and groom himself thoroughly after a couple of hours of sleep. Some food would be nice too. Fish maybe or...

"Stay tuned, kitty-cat." Schuldig's eyes glowered in the dark of the alley the had just entered. "If I loose you, I'll loose her and with her my chance to get back to normal. So don't get any ideers."

He flashed Aya a grin and caught up to Farfarello who had already reached the end of the street. The secured the passage and hurried on. Aya and his sister followed them leaving Yoji to be the last of the group. It felt oddly right.

"They're here."

The badger who had remained silent most of the time, opened his eyes and stood. His striped head was turned to the entrance. Omi sighed in relief.

"It's about time. We have just finished the last adjustments on the drones. Everything clear up there, Nagi?"

He looked at ceiling where the little bat had to be hanging somewhere in the dark. When Nagi had woken up, he had eaten more than twice his own weight and had afterwards declared that he was out of this mission for good. His promise had lasted until they had started making plans how to spread the antidote. He had swooped down, landed on the back rest of Dr. Nishimura's chair and told them that they were all stupid and how _he_ would do it. Now an army of altered drones was sitting on every surface of the lab, each of them equipped with a small container and a spray device. Omi had just finished programming the last of them.

"Don't talk to me," the darkness responded, but Omi imagined it to be a little less hostile than before. He hid a smile and turned to Ken.

"Dr. Nishimura is still making some preparations for the antidote. Maybe you should get the door. The other dogs might get a little excited when the others arrive."

Ken jumped up. "Right. I'll get them to sit and beg."

The shepherd dog went up the stairs. Omi glanced at Crawford. The leader of Schwarz had not contributed very much to their plan, only made one or two suggestions concerning the routes of the drones. He seemed to be quiet sure that this would work out right. But Omi wondered...what would it be like afterwards? Would they return to trying to kill each other every time they met? He cleared his throat to say something, but Crawford had obviously anticipated his question.

"No," he said and looked Omi straight in the face. "There will be no cooperation between Schwarz and Weiß after this episode is over."

"But..." Omi searched for words. "We have worked together, combined our forces. How can we go back to killing each other?"

Crawford's smirk was as unnerving as his casual voice or the amusement in his eyes. "We had never planned to kill you. If we had you would not be here."

Omi was completely at a loss. He set down and started nibbling his front paws. One of his claws had splintered when he had been working on the drones and he wanted to get rid of that distraction. In an odd way Crawford's words made sense, but they also crept him out. He almost felt the connection they had made fade and brake. It was like watching paper boats on a torrential river. At first it was a marvelous sight, but all too soon the water soddened the proud fleet and after a few more whirls of water nothing was left. It made Omi sad in a way it should not have.

Steps on the stairs saved him from thinking more about it. There still was the problem at hand to solve. He hopped next to Crawford and set on his hind legs.

At first, Farfarello and Schuldig entered the room. The fox looked a little tired, but his voice was as loud and pungent as ever.

"Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome the savior of the day, the awaker of the princess, the breaker of the spell, the ..."

"Oh shut up already!" Yoji woofed behind him. "Awaker isn't even a word."

"What a ruff response!" Schuldig grinned. "Has someone made a dog' s ear in your favorite hair style magazine? That's really dograding."

Yoji growled some more, but was cut of by Aya entering the room. The Abyssinian cat hissed at both of them and to Omi's surprise Schuldig and Yoji retreated and made way for another animal. A doe slowly entered the room and looked around with wide eyes. When she spotted Omi he smiled at her.

"You must be Aya's sister. Welcome Aya-chan."

The doe nodded at him, apparently not quiet sure what to think of all this.

Schuldig set next to her and grinned. "We hadn't quiet figured out the name problem," he drawled. "But here comes our rabbit friend and immediately hops to the solution. That's really bunny."

Omi opened his mouth, but Yoji only shook his head. "Don't even try. He's been punning around since we took off. I guess only a nuclear missile could bring an end to it and even that's uncertain."

Schuldig wiggled his brows suggestively. "You could try a silver bullet. Maybe that works. Anyway, how come you are not surprised we bring the whole girl and not only her blood."

"Crawford told us," Omi answered and noticed with satisfaction that this _had_ an impact on the smug fox. He looked really baffled.

"What? He never...why did you tell them?"

"It made things easier to prepare." The badger's smooth response seemed to fuel Schuldig's irritation even more.

"If you knew, that I would wake her up, why did you not tell _me_ about it."

The badger just looked at Schuldig and Omi imagined the surface of his glasses reflect the light making them opaque and hiding his eyes. It did not work so well without the actual glasses on, though.

"You know it does not work that way."

Schuldig growled, but remained silent after that. Even if he had wanted to add something, he would have been cut of by Dr. Nishimura's entrance. When she saw Aya's sister, she did not waste time, took the required blood sample and headed off to prepare the antidote. Time was becoming a crucial factor now. The sooner they turned back, the lesser effects would stay after the re-transformation.

Omi stifled a yawn and hopped towards his friends.

"Not very much longer and we will be back to our normal selves."

"Yeah, that will be great. I really crave seeing my actual face and so do the Ladies." Yoji grinned and nudged Ken with his front paw. "I guess you will miss being able to run so fast, won't you?"

Ken laughed and sneezed. "I'm not sure. I have a feeling that I might be allergic to dogs. Getting rid of all this fur sounds good to me. What about you, Aya?"

Both, the cat and the doe, looked at Ken, who seemed to blush and then turn pale under said fur. "I...I'm sorry. I'll have to get used to calling him...what? Ran?"

The doe's eyes grew a little wider. "Oh, please, I don't want to cause any inconveniences. I guess, we can find a way..."

"It's ok, Aya", Aya/Ran interrupted her. "We'll sort that out later. We still need to talk about what happened when you were gone. Perhaps the name problem will be solved after that talk as well."

Aya's sister smiled and nodded, but Omi knew what Aya meant by that. He did not think his sister would stay with them after hearing what her brother had done. He really hoped that Aya was wrong. He really hoped for it.

"Gentleman, your antidote is ready."

Dr. Nishimura held out a small container. A greenish liquid swirled around in it and made Omi raise his ears. This was it.. This would transform them back to real humans. He felt relief wash over him and something more. Something like...hope. He spared Crawford a glance but the badger's face was unreadable.

 _'So, this is it'_ he thought and closed his eyes. He heard Dr. Nishimura open the vial and a strange smell filled the room. It was the last thing Omi noticed before loosing his consciousness.

* * *

Music: One night in Bangkok - Murray Head


	16. Epilogue

Schuldig was the first to wake up. He knew it because the minds around him were still faint like whispers, not really real to the world by now. He breathed in deeply and felt his body. It was as long as it used to be and mostly hairless. His teeth were no longer pointy and his tongue could not reach his nose if something tickled it. For such purpose he had his hands back and feet to put into proper shoes. Yes, he really was human again. As human as a well-trained telepath was able to be. He grinned and opened his eyes.

The others were still sleeping. Crawford was leaned back against a chair, Farfarello laid flat on his back with Nagi slumped to his side. Weiß was no different, scattered around on the floor of the laboratory. Dr. Nishimura was missing, but Schuldig was sure, they would find a way to get back to her later. He wanted to get up, when someone of the other side started so move. To his surprise it was girl-Aya, who sat up first and rubbed her eyes. Eyes that were no longer brown but a dark shade of blue and still full of depths. They met his and he winked at her.

"Wakey-wakey princess. Again. You must have slept enough for the next three years."

She smiled. "I feel like I have slept long enough for an entire life time." She got up, slowly as if to test her regained limbs. When she was sure, they carried her well enough, she stepped up to him and bowed her head.

"I want to thank you. You have brought me back to life. I will never forget that."

He wanted to come up with a cruel reply, to crack a tacky joke about foolish young girls, but he just couldn't. Her serenity was taking it all away leaving him somehow weak and defenseless. He was used to people who thought one thing and did another. Someone being so honestly grateful towards him was something he could not deal with. Something he wanted to hurt, to crush, to begrime until it was unrecognizable. Instead he nodded slightly. He knew, this was only her doing, her gift forcing him to be nicer than he intended to be, but he could take care of that later. Much later after he had talked to Crawford about this untrained talent and what they would make of it. Maybe the oracle had had a vision about that as well.

"Take care, princess," he replied and got up. He felt the awakening of many minds out there and he wanted to get the news from their experience as animals first hand. How much they remembered, how much they regretted. Tokyo was bound to have a hell of a hangover and it promised to be a whole lot of entertainment for him.

* * *

Music: What does the fox say (reprise) - Ylvis


End file.
